There will be a reception for the artist on Jan. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the gallery. Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

Krueger, a former visiting assistant professor at Monmouth College, is now a sculpture technician and assistant professor of art at the University of Notre Dame. He received an MFA degree in sculpture from the University of Kentucky in 2005 and a BS degree in art from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2001. Krueger has also served as the gallery director for the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts and as a lecturer in the department of art, both at Indiana University, South Bend.

Born and raised in La Crosse, Krueger says the "beauty and splendor of the lush Mississippi Valley," combined with the industrial, blue-collar factories of his hometown, had a great affect on his imagery. While attending the University of Wisconsin in the mid-1990s, the artist discovered what he calls the "joy of the sculptural experience" as he delved into figurative sculpture and explored ideas dealing with philosophy, spirituality and mythology.

During this time at the University of Kentucky, the figurative imagery that had been ever present in his work began to blur and become abstract. Forms that were based on the human figure began to take the characteristics of objects in nature like driftwood or eroded stone. This allowed him to broaden his subject matter and speak more inquisitively with his art.

In his statement about the MC exhibit, Krueger says he has been thinking heavily about how people react to special and environmental situations. "Not environmental in the sense of the earth and nature," he said, "but of one’s immediate surroundings. How does one deal with being part of a particular group? How do we react when confined or released? How do we feel when we find ourselves in a place or situation in which we’ve never been? These are the types of questions I am addressing with these pieces. I don’t feel that there is necessarily an answer, but as always there will be the questions to explore."

The recipient of the University of Kentucky’s 2002 first choice award in the 5th Annual Carrie Ellis Juried Student Art Show, Krueger has participated in a variety of shows and juried competitions throughout the Midwest. A number of his sculptures appear in both private and public collections.

The Everett Gallery is open during regular library hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to midnight.