In light of the nation’s 250th birthday, the Jule Museum is presenting three new exhibits for the 2025-26 school year, each showcasing art collections that encapsulate the American spirit and all the ways those ideas manifest into art. These unique exhibitions focus on important and sometimes troubled sides of American history.
Alex Dudley, a senior studying in graphic design who works as a tour guide in the museum, brought focus to the multifaceted ideals of the new exhibitions.
“We have a bunch of pieces up from Americans that were immigrants that came over, and then we have a bunch of pieces up from Americans making political statements about America, and just kind of different people showcasing how they view themselves, and how they identify themselves, and kind of all the various different ways that we can be American,” Dudley said.
Open until Saturday, May 9, Facing the Giant—3 Decades of Dissent by Shepard Fairey is one of the exhibits included in the celebration. The exhibit examines Fairey's artwork over his 30-year career as a print maker.
Fairey’s art, also seen in his popular clothing brand Obey, is known for its heavy political statements through art forms such as print making and murals. These art pieces stem from the punk-rock subculture and urge the viewer to lead instead of follow.
One aspect of all of the new exhibitions is their emphasis on collaboration.
Included in Facing the Giant—3 Decades of Dissent is a large mural created by Auburn University students, with the aid of their graphic design professor Riva Nayaju. With the input of Fairey himself, Nayaju had her students get into groups to create a collage of Fairey’s works, one of which was chosen. This mural now resides inside of Fairey’s exhibit, showing off the hard work of the students.
Pieces created by artist Sheperd Fairey on display at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday, January 28.
The next exhibit, Radical Naturalism: Lyric Birdscapes, curated by the museum's Poet-in-Residence Nicole Sealey, also features collaborations with Auburn students.
This exhibit centers around French-American immigrant James John Audobon and his collection The Birds of America. This collection is comprised of scientific depictions of native birds, drawn with a focus on accuracy and correct proportions.
These prints were then shown to students in English professor Rose McClarney’s class Poetry Writing: The Natural, the Social and the Personal to be interpreted and then riffed upon in students' own work of poetry. These poems now hang on the wall inside of the exhibit, along with audio recordings of the students reading their work.
In addition, American poets Donika Kelly and David Baker were commissioned to create poetry for the exhibition.
A painting featured in the "Radical Naturalism" exhibit at the Jule Collins Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday, January 28.
The third exhibit, Sew Their Names: Quilting, Creativity and Activism, born out of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, is meant to show and honor the names of enslaved people found in the Alabama Baptist archives by stitching their names into quilts.
Started by a group of quilt makers and eventually growing to house other forms of art, the exhibition features works from famous visual artists, including Mercedes Braxton, Wini McQueen, Yvonne Wells, Bill Traylor and Noah Purifoy, along with others from the Lowndes County Freedom Organization.
A quilt featured in "Sew Their Names" a new exhibition at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts that reads "Oh Freedom" on Wednesday, January 28.
Kayden Holbrook, a senior studying anthropology and a Jule Museum tour guide, commented on the impact of this exhibit.
“It's so heartwarming because you see a group of people coming together to create something to memorialize people who otherwise would have been completely forgotten and it honors them in that way. I feel like art can do art can do that a lot,” Holbrook said.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Jule will host the Auburn Forum for Southern Art and Culture, which will include a quilting workshop where viewers can sew the name of an enslaved person from the Baptist Archives or even the name of an enslaved family member. The Jule has partnered with several organizations to complete workshops like this one all across Alabama, bringing the names of these people into the light.
Visiting a museum can be a little daunting, but according to Charlotte Hendrix, the director of museum communications and external relations, visiting the Jule can be a relaxing experience.
“I think it's nice to, you know, put down phones, to slow down, to stop and look at things and wonder,” Hendrix said. “Take a break, get lost in the artist process, or what the artist is trying to say, or what you think the artist might be trying to say.”
Whether visitors want to examine the new exhibits, take a walk outside in the gardens or even study inside of their cafe, the Jule offers many ways to relax for the small price of free admission. They even offer free tours starting at 5 p.m., making it an option for an in-budget date night.
Those interested can view Fairey's Facing the Giant—3 Decades of Dissent until Saturday, May 9, while Radical Naturalism: Lyric Birdscapes and Sew Their Names: Quilting, Creativity and Activism will be on display at the Jule until Thursday, July 2.
Seen through the exhibit, the most defining trait of America is her innate ability to bring about community. Whether it be through revolutions, grief or even the allure of the natural world, it is true to the American spirit to come together to create something beautiful through the hard work of a community.
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Emily Edgy, a freshman majoring in social science and history education, is from Centreville, Alabama. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since the spring of 2026.
