There Are No Graves Here, The Work of Mathew Samuel

Bogigian Gallery, Lortz Hall, Wilson College
Opening reception: Thursday, October 1, 4:30 to 7 p.m. 
Exhibition runs: October 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027
Gallery hours: Monday - Friday 10 a.m to 4 p.m. 

There Are No Graves Here, The Work of Mathew Samuel Exhibition Statement

There are no graves here, for nothing truly ends. What we call death is only a passing through, a changing of form—raw material returning to the earth, energy moving beyond what we can see and what we can hold. A grave is made to hold the body, but it cannot hold the life, the love, or the influence of a person that lives not just in memory but through the teaching they gave to us to move forward. This is how we live forever. Death is not the opposite of life, but part of the same great migration: a threshold rather than an ending, a return rather than a disappearance. What we fear in loss may simply be a transformation we do not yet have the eyes to understand.

But in the face of unbelievable tragedy, the romantic notion of something more gives little reprieve to our crushing grief and the ever-present question of why?

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountaintop, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

This special exhibition is a tribute to the work of artist and educator Mathew Samuel, who tragically passed away on July 26th, 2026, at the age of 49.

Samuel passed away on July 26, 2026, at the age of 49. Throughout his career, he served as an associate professor at Lebanon Valley College, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, and Kutztown University. The exhibition's title reflects a central theme of his work and life: the belief that influence, love, and human connection transcend physical loss. 

Curator's Note by Adam DelMarcelle, M.F.A., assistant professor of graphic design

Mathew Samuel is my friend, and he is my brother.

In preparing for this exhibition and the permanent archiving of my dear friend's work, I got the chance to spend time with and care for not only his amazing finished and unfinished works, but also his vast library of sketchbooks, journals, and correspondence. These are not materials often shown to the public because they are private spaces that artists use to record their thoughts, work out ideas, and sometimes bare their souls unfiltered. They can also be confessionals and diaries, places where we have the space to say anything, to scream at the world, those that disappoint us, and ourselves without fear of straining our relationships, isolating ourselves, or causing concern with those that love us at the harshness of our words or the fear in our images.

What I discovered through this time was a man that was deeply concerned for the world and his place in it. A person trying to find happiness while fearing for how he would be able to support his children and those that he loved. A man that navigated complicated relationships. A son that cared for ailing parents. A person that gave of themselves freely, only to find there was little left for them. This is all so very present within the works hanging in the Bogigian Gallery, but what is also there is a portal into the most loving friend I have ever had. He is asking us to care for one another, to know where we come from, and to consider where we may go. I love him very much, and I hope that as you spend time in this special place, I built for him, that you consider your place in this world and how you will decide to use the time you have left.

The title of the exhibition comes from a small, pocket-sized, first edition of Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet" that Matt had painstakingly painted, altered, highlighted, and drawn in. I discovered this among his things. I was moved by this small book for many reasons; I think he wanted me to find this. Matt underlined passages that spoke to him throughout the book, and you will find these messages throughout the gallery… You will also find his drafting table and his workspace. If you close your eyes and listen, you will hear him working.