Catherine G. Murphy Gallery welcomes new director and exhibition
By Bronwyn Kmiecik
St. Catherine University welcomed a new gallery director to campus over the summer, Dr. Kara Carmack. Dr. Carmack has her doctorate in art history and has curated exhibitions by Chuck Bowdish, Lisa Corinne Davis, Pat de Groot, Shirley Kaneda, Lucy Liu and Ruth Miller, among other artists. According to Carmack, her job is “wearing many hats.” Those “hats” include collaborating with artists, receiving exhibition proposals, showcasing what the gallery does for both on- and off-campus audiences, building relationships with artists, and funding exhibitions. Funding for the exhibitions comes from local partners, grants and other pools of money to support the acquisition of the art so the artists are properly compensated for their work.
Carmack is currently overseeing the gallery’s newest exhibition, titled “The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness.” The exhibition, which opened on Sept. 12, is a collaboration between seven women: Shelly Bahl, Monica Jahan Bose, Fawzia Khan, Renluka Maharaj, Indrani Nayar-Gall, Nirmal Raja and Pallavi Sharma. It covers a broad range of themes regarding what it means to be a brown woman. “They found that they were all from South Asian origins with very clear feminist bends to their work,” said Carmack, explaining how the artists first came together despite their differences in mediums and subject matters. “The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness” is the third iteration of the artists’ ongoing collaboration as they work toward reappropriating the term “Paglee,” which typically means “crazy woman” in several South Asian languages.
Carmack explains that the new exhibition explores questions of power, patriarchal systems of oppression and the meaning of “home.” When asked why people should visit the exhibition, Carmack enthuses, “I think the work is really, really good– it’s powerful work.” She adds, “When you’re in the exhibit, there’s a real air that the artists show their subject matters in (…) it’s powerful, it’s striking. They say what they want to say quite clearly.” The result is an experience where students from all walks of life can find something that resonates with them.
The artists spoke about their work during the exhibition’s opening, but for anyone who missed the opportunity to hear them, all seven will speak on an online panel on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions. The event is being hosted in connection with the Fall of Freedom, a nationwide movement uniting communities, artists and institutions to celebrate creative expression.
Along similar lines, Dr. Carmack plans to invite other artists to host workshops for students. She is excited to create opportunities for students to connect with artists and explore various creative processes behind the fine arts.
“The Paglees: Between Reason and Madness” will be showing at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery until Dec. 12, 2026. The gallery is open from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
