Mat Kelly Book Exhibit at Central College's Mills Gallery

Central College welcomes the work of Mat Kelly, Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professorship of Liberal Arts and professor of art. He will be exhibiting a selection from the original illustrated pages of his graphic novel, "Paracusia."
This exhibit will be on display in Mills Gallery from Monday, Oct. 26, until Friday, Nov. 6. 

The public is invited to a reception at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 in the Mills Gallery. Located in Lubbers Center for the Visual Arts on Central's campus, the Mills Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

"Paracusia" is a result of a semester-long sabbatical where Kelly wrote, revised and began illustrating this graphic novel. The plotline follows a master thief heckled by his guilty conscience and is trying to find out who is going to betray him. Along the way he meets a child who inadvertently reveals his worst nightmare and his greatest strength. The story is generally about taking responsibility for one's actions, the good and the bad, and using them to guide better decisions. 

Kelly will be pitching the idea to publishers in Spring 2027. 

"Part of the reason for taking on this project was to strengthen my knowledge base in creative writing and visual narratives," Kelly says. "This project was developed with an eye toward creating more collaborative opportunities for our students between the Art, English and Communication Studies programs."