Chris Morrey, a lecturer in the Division of Architecture, recently installed a sculpture suite in the Columbia Regional Airport. The sculptures, two large scale rings titled “Returning,” were inspired by the “the cyclical nature of days, seasons and years, and resonates with concepts of leaving, returning and repetition.”
The pair of five-by-six foot oval rings feature different detailed shapes and surfaces. They will be installed on the terminal’s main entry side walls and face into the north and south lounges.
Chris Morrey with one of the featured sculptures.
“I thought that the rings embody a sense of departure and returning that was in keeping with a project for an airport,” Morrey told the Missourian, “They also sort of describe the cyclical nature of our days, our lunar cycles, our years; there’s a larger context we can put our journeys into. We can see them in this different light as a bigger part of the motion of the universe.”
Chris Morrey is a sculptor with thirty years of experience building works for public and private commissions as well as for gallery exhibition. He uses production methods ranging from hand craft to bronze and steel fabrication to computer-aided design and production. He seeks to engage craft’s evocation of the human relationship to nature and natural motifs; from small sculptures to large installations, his work provokes surprise and pleasure, leading viewers to appreciate the sensitivity of their physical bodies to the living and material environment.
Morrey is the founder of Dogwood, an artist workspace in Columbia, Missouri that had provided studios to over thirty artists and hosts monthly exhibitions in its gallery. Morrey teaches Design Fundamentals and Drawing to students at the Gibbs College of Architecture, approaching these courses in the same way he approaches his sculptural work: centering in the body and leading students to understand the active role they take in perceiving, interpreting, and creating the world around them.
A team of Construction Science and Architecture students from the Gibbs College of Architecture made their mark on the national stage this week, earning third place out of 37 universities competing at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition, held during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, February 16-18, 2026.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Gary Armbruster, FAIA, ALEP to its prestigious College of Fellows—AIA’s highest membership honor—for his exceptional work and sustained contributions to architecture and society. Fellowship recognizes architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant impact at a national level. Members elevated to this distinction carry the FAIA designation after their name.
Students from the Spring 2026 Graduate 4 Architecture Design Studio, led by Professor Amy Leveno, exhibited their work at the School of Visual Arts. The exhibition, titled Reimagining the OU School of Visual Arts, featured drawings, models, and animations developed throughout the semester's studio project. The show was hosted in The Spotlight, a creative gallery space located on the first floor of the Fred Jones Art Center, and ran from January 20–30, 2026.
