Evidence of Things Unseen: Margaret "Peg" Fierke: Prints, Paintings, and Patterns of Discovery

Margaret "Peg" Fierke taught printmaking at Herron School of Art and Design for nearly four decades, shaping generations of artists while maintaining a rigorous studio practice as a printmaker and painter. This exhibition celebrates Fierke's life, work, and enduring legacy as an educator, mentor, and artist. Drawn from works preserved in Fierke's studio and estate, Evidence of Things Unseen brings together prints and paintings spanning her career, with a particular focus on works created between the 1980s and early 2000s. The exhibition highlights Fierke's fascination with science, nature, and the hidden structures that shape the world around us. Her prints and paintings draw connections between the microscopic and the monumental, evoking cellular forms, topographic landscapes, evolving ecosystems, and the subtle patterns that emerge from seemingly chaotic systems. Through layered compositions, repeated motifs, and vibrant fields of color, Fierke approached art as a process of exploration and discovery, investigating phenomena that are often sensed through their effects rather than directly observed. Though her work can be found in numerous public and private collections, Fierke's greatest legacy may be the generations of artists she taught and inspired. Decades after her arrival at Herron in the late 1960s, her influence continues to reverberate through the school and the broader artistic community. This exhibition offers an opportunity to encounter both the remarkable body of work she created, and the lasting impact of a life dedicated to curiosity, experimentation, and creative inquiry.