Equine Archetype: Horses in Art as Symbols of Healing and Recovery

Michael J. Krueger (Professor, Visual Art)

TUE, OCT 21, 12:00 PM
Hall Center Conference Hall

Michael Krueger’s fellowship project will include a new series of large-scale paintings and drawings inspired by horses used in equine therapy with children and teens facing trauma and adversity. These horses will serve as symbolic proxies for individuals navigating complex emotional and moral challenges, embodying themes of healing, transformation, and resilience.

The project will also include a publication that will explore how visual art can evoke shared emotional experiences and foster emotional intelligence. Krueger will investigate how line, color, viewpoint, and subject matter can create a sensorial space between artist and viewer—an aesthetic opening that invites reflection, empathy, and connection.

Drawing on over 30 years of teaching and studio practice, Krueger will continue his exploration of how drawing and painting can elicit well-being and deepen emotional awareness. He will ask whether visual art can help us experience ourselves more fully and connect more meaningfully with others. Through this work, he will examine how art can serve not only as representation, but as a means of fostering deeper connection to the self and the broader human experience.

A taco bar will be available for the first 45 attendees. No RSVP required.