Preston Jackson | Here We Are

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Last Updated: Oct 21, 2026, 02:33 PM

T Lance, Sharp Museum curator of exhibits, sets up artist Preston Jackson’s “Don’t Play Blues After Midnight” with Jackson’s sculpture “Dressin’ Miz. Eve” in the foreground. Jackson’s exhibition “Here We Are” begins Dec. 5. (Photo by Russell Bailey)

Preston Jackson | Here We Are

December 5, 2025 - June 26, 2026

Here We Are is a celebration of Preston Jackson’s recent works, both in bronze and painting. These fantastical images portray intricate narratives rooted in history. His series "Fresh from Julieanne´s Garden", reveals the lives and personalities of his ancestors and the stories of all of our forbearers who lived in the Southern United States in the 19th and early 20th century. This work reflects an admiration for the resiliency of each individual. Jackson was awarded a Regional Emmy for hosting "Legacy in Bronze", a television show featuring his Julieanne´s Garden sculptures.

Preston Jackson (b. 1944, Decatur, IL) is a visionary artist whose work spans multiple mediums and themes, from abstract expressions of emotional landscapes to complex representations of social narratives. Mr. Jackson is a professor emeritus of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. In 1967, Jackson enrolled in Southern Illinois University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969 while playing jazz guitar with various groups from the area including Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows. He obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois in 1972. With a career that has flourished over decades, Jackson's art continues to engage and provoke audiences worldwide. His dedication to exploring the human condition, combined with his exceptional skill and innovative techniques, makes his work not only visually stunning but also deeply meaningful.

As an artist, Jackson specializes in bronze and steel sculpture as well as painting. Jackson has also created two-dimensional pieces and large monuments. His public artworks include a cast bronze relief about native American history in Peoria, a stainless steel piece about African American musicians from Champaign, Illinois; the 14 foot cast bronze Freedom Suits Memorial in St. Louis; the bronze wall façades for the Cahokia Mounds Museum; a cast bronze sculpture of Irv Kupcinet for the City of Chicago; a larger than life size sculpture of comedian Richard Pryor and a Korean War soldier in Peoria; a life size figure of Miles Davis in Alton, Illinois; life size figures of Bass Reeves, Martin Luther King, Norman Borlaug, and George Washington Carver in Decatur; monumental stainless steel and bronze sculptures for McCormick Place West in Chicago, Purdue University, Urbana Park District, Chicago Transit Authority, and Peoria Civic Center; a cast bronze monument memorializing the 1908 Springfield, Illinois race riot; a cast bronze and granite monument for Decatur Illinois; a Martin Luther King memorial bust for Danville, Illinois; a bronze bust of Fred Hampton in Maywood, Illinois; a life size bronze of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable in Peoria; a life size bronze figure of Marie Wilkinson seated on a stainless steel bench in Aurora, Illinois; a bust of Dr. Georgianna Simpson for University of Chicago; and a bust of surgeon Dr. Daniel Hale Williams for Northwestern University.