Aubrey Maurer and Callie Morton, 2022 Fine Art grads, are the focus of Lancaster Museum of Art exhibition

Two members of PCA&D’s Class of 2022, Aubrey Maurer and Callie Morton, are the featured artists in Lancaster Museum of Art‘s upcoming exhibition opening Jan. 13. The museum, at 135 N. Lime St., will be showing Lancaster’s Latest, an exhibition that features the pair of Fine Art BFA graduates of the College. An opening reception will be held Friday, Jan. 12, from 5-8 pm, and an Artist Talk will be at 6 pm on Thursday, Jan. 18. The Emerging Artists Exhibition runs through Feb. 25. Read on to learn more about Maurer, Morton, and what impacts their art today: 

Callie Morton

Callie Morton

Morton, who works out of her small home-based studio — sometimes a challenge with her large-scale pieces — explores themes of identity, distortion of identity, and the impact of mental illness on her own identity. “I began playing with these themes during my time at PCA&D,” Morton says, “and, since graduation, my life has gone through many changes which I believe has helped me in the exploration and experimental processes of my creating.”

Morton, who’s based in Lancaster, says she was contacted about the possibility of an LMA exhibition by the museum’s Executive Director, Abby Baer. Baer, Morton says, “had seen my work on social media.”

Much of the work that Morton will exhibit in Lancaster’s Latest, she says, has been completed since her 2022 graduation, while other pieces are the result of her student years at the College. Pairing them together should give visitors a glimpse into the progression of Morton’s work, and the evolution of how she handles recurring themes. 

The two artists have not collaborated on works for this show, Morton says, but, Maurer says, the themes they explore fit well together. 

While Morton’s pieces focus on self-introspection and self-image, Maurer’s work for the show explores humans’ relationships with our natural surroundings. 

Aubrey Maurer

Maurer, who was tapped for an emerging artist residency at Millersville University after her graduation from PCA&D, says the sculptural pieces “which have always been my first love will be central to the show, but I have been experimenting recently with painting and 3D work which have been inspired by some of my older sculptural pieces, allowing me a new way (of) looking at themes and subject matter by introducing other mediums.”

Aubrey Maurer

“Consistency,” Maurer says, ” is key to keep producing new work. 

“Also, the emerging artist residency at Millersville helped provide an invaluable environment that fosters creativity, offering the time and space to focus solely on my craft. The opportunity to produce multiple works was transformative, allowing for experimentation and pushing my artistic boundaries … I attribute much of my ability to have this show to the supportive Lancaster art community, PCA&D, and Lancaster itself, which is such a welcoming environment for young artists.”

Maurer, who has shown in several exhibitions since her graduation from PCA&D, says all of the work in Lancaster’s Latest will be new to those who only know her work from her college days — some completed a few weeks before the exhibition’s opening. 

Several will be sparked by her desire to work in various mediums “to achieve different effects and fueled by a longing to express my work in a 2D way to see how the impact of a piece in various forms is changed. Still, at my foundation, I am working with clay and enjoying the sculptural aspect of that medium.”

Now also working in the healthcare management field, Maurer has begun preparing her portfolio for graduate programs across the country. “I am excited to begin new adventures in my art education,” Maurer says. Her mantra, she says, is “keep creating.”

“No matter what, keep making art,” she advises young artists. “Stay focused on your creative journey, embracing the inevitable highs and lows that come with it. Your artistic voice is unique and invaluable, and it will only strengthen through consistent practice and exploration. Allow yourself the freedom to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from each piece you create.”

You can see more of Maurer’s work here, and you can see more of Morton’s work here.