University Gallery

The University Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that serves the Art and Design Department, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, as well as the city of Lowell and the greater Merrimack Valley Region. The gallery hosts 4-6 major exhibitions each year, including the biannual Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) show featuring the senior projects from the Art and Design studios. From emerging artists to seasoned practitioners with national and international reputations, the University Gallery's exhibition program showcases a broad variety of artistic approaches, media and content reflecting the curricula of the Art and Design program and enhancing the cultural environment of the community and surrounding area.

The University Gallery is located on the first floor of Mahoney Hall at 870 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA.

Gallery Exhibitions: Admission is free and opening receptions usually include a lecture by the curator or exhibiting artist.

Neighborhood Idols and Everyday Rites

An exhibition that features a selection of artwork by sculptor Evan Morse.

September 1 – October 10, 2026
Reception: Thursday, September 17, 6-7:30 p.m.

Morse’s sculptures reimagine historical monumentalism by uniting ancient carving traditions with the realities of contemporary life. Through the labor-intensive act of carving stone, he elevates seemingly ordinary moments, revealing both the divinity and the leisure in contemporary life. In his work, the everyday citizen assumes heroic stature: a mother becomes a Madonna, an athlete like a Pharaoh; a printed onesie becomes our suit of armor, while humorous sporting events evoke the theater of a battlefield.

Traversing time and history, Neighborhood Idols & Everyday Rites serves both as a record of contemporary life and as a reflection of human experience. The modern man inhabits an ancient world, one in which the distance between ourselves and our predecessors is far smaller than we often imagine. By collapsing distinctions between past and present, the exhibition invites viewers to consider their place within a broader archaeological history and to reflect upon the rituals and vulnerabilities that connect humanity across centuries.

About Evan Morse

Evan Morse holds an Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in sculpture from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Wheaton College. Additionally, he studied traditional methods of stone-carving in Carrara, Italy. Evan’s figurative sculptures have received numerous recognitions, including two grants from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, a 2017 fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and a grant from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. He is also a two-time recipient of the Dexter Jones Award, presented by The National Sculpture Society. Morse has also received recognition for his commission work, which includes projects for the Brookgreen Gardens Medal Series, Harvard University, and Iowa State University.