AMES, IOWA.- While Christian Petersen's name is iconic, especially around the state of Iowa, a gift to University Museums by his daughter, Mary, is providing art enthusiasts with new insight into the man behind the Fountain of the Four Seasons and The Gentle Doctor.

This fall, the Christian Petersen Art Museum will showcase Christian Petersen and his art in two separate exhibitions, opening on August 25 and running through December 19, 2025, at Morrill Hall, Iowa State University.

"Forms of Remembrance: The Unknown Political Prisoner" will examine the history and legacy of Petersen's monuments to the fallen, with special interest paid to his Unknown Political Prisoner maquette and related drawings and sculptures. The exhibition also helps commemorate the 2025 installation of the newly carved version of the sculpture in the Anderson Sculpture Garden.

"In dialogue with other war and monument-related works of art, this exhibition poses The Unknown Political Prisoner and the international competition that inspired it as a catalyst to explore Christian Petersen’s postwar shift toward themes of loss, remembrance, and the enduring cost of war," says Alison Ranniger Van Zante, curator of the Christian Petersen Art Museum.

In addition to "Forms of Remembrance," the museum will also feature Christian Petersen's prints, sculptures and drawings in an exhibition entitled, "The Shape of Memory: Gifts from the Mary Petersen Estate."

This exhibition will honor the life and legacy of Mary C. Petersen, daughter of Christian Petersen. "The Shape of Memory" reflects on Mary's life through the eyes and art of her father.

"As University Museums celebrates its 50th anniversary, this exhibition honors Mary Petersen’s generosity and her vital role in preserving the legacy of her father, Christian Petersen, whose work continues to shape the artistic and cultural identity of Iowa State University," says Ranniger Van Zante.

These exhibitions are a wonderful opportunity to further explore Petersen's life and appreciate the preservation and documentation that has taken place to ensure that future generations know and understand the work of Christian Petersen.

Exhibitions will be featured in the Roy and Bobbi Reiman Public Art Studio Gallery and Neva M. Petersen Gallery in 0003 Morrill Hall, and are curated and organized by University Museums.