Fall offers a full slate of exhibitions across galleries and museums throughout the Midwest. Behind the scenes, many people in the community are working tirelessly to support artists and bring fresh perspectives to the public. We spoke with five insiders about what excites them now and what they anticipate next.

The following preview is one of five conversations that appear in CGN's Fall 2026 magazine. To receive a copy of the print edition click here.

Photo by Travis Roozée

William Gross – 

65GRAND

“Ever since my school days, I’ve looked forward to fall—a season of reconnecting with friends, embarking on new adventures, and sharing an enthusiasm for art. In that spirit, I’m excited to announce our fall lineup at 65GRAND.

The gallery presents solo exhibitions by William Staples, Holly Murkerson and Shane Huffman. Staples debuts paintings that both reflect and incorporate materials from the landscape surrounding his home along the Esopus Creek in the Catskills, exploring formal conventions of painting while challenging how we perceive pictorial space. Murkerson makes photographic work that seeks to visualize embodiment and the porousness between body and environment, grounded in the materiality (liquid, mineral, animal, light), apparatuses (eye, room, womb, chamber) and slow metabolism of analog photography. Huffman continues ‘swimming to the moon,’ investigating the unified phenomena of “lightmotionspace” through photographic experiments at the intersection of lab work and alchemical sorcery.

We have also extended Jenal Dolson’s installation, Interrobang, which inaugurated our project space. 

We look forward to welcoming you for artist talks and special events at the gallery this season!”

65GRAND