Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy to Host Party Fouls
On view January 6 – April 11, 2026
Exeter, NH (December 10, 2025) — Party Fouls explores the games and pains of growing up. Themes of play, frustration, empathy, and self-compassion interplay through fields of color and found objects. Featured artist Moe Gram transforms Lamont Gallery into a nostalgic birthday party with underlying subjects like maturation, responsibility, and the meandering road of life. The space brims with classic elements of celebration: sugary treats, streamers, Y2K paper games, and even a bouncy house. These playful touches, paired with sculpture, painting, and projection, craft a coming-of-age story that unpacks the trials and tribulations of growing older and losing one’s sense of play. Gram reminds us to rediscover curiosity in everyday life.
Within Gram’s birthday installation, she generates emotions of familiarity, sentimentalism, and longing for “the good ole days,” where childlike wonder and play were paramount. She drops clever breadcrumbs connected to “adulting” like overdue bills, how-to guides, and self-care tropes to remind us that growing older doesn’t always correlate to thriving. Life’s imposed milestones are never checked off simply by sticking to a single, linear path, after all. The journey doesn’t end, it just evolves.
Gram is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Denver, CO, and works on a diverse array of mediums that include painting, mural, collage, and installation. Gram’s work is distinctive, engaging, and thoughtful. Through her playful color palette, messaging, and juxtaposition of unique embellishments and found objects, her work encourages the viewer to absorb and reflect- for the betterment of oneself and collectively for us all.
Events:
You’re Invited: Opening Reception for Party Fouls!
Thursday, January 15, 5-7pm
Party Time… Lunch and Learn with Moe Gram
Friday, January 16, 12:40-1:40
(RSVP required, see website for details)
Visit the Lamont Gallery website to learn more about the exhibit and our programming: www.exeter.edu/lamontgallery.
Visiting the Lamont Gallery:
The Lamont Gallery and all programs are free and open to the public by appointment. Online reservations can be made on the “Plan Your Visit” page of our website. www.exeter.edu/lamontgallery
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday 10am-4pm
Location: Unless noted, all events located at the Lamont Gallery, Frederick R. Mayer Art Center, 26 Tan Lane, Exeter, NH 03833
Notes: The Gallery welcomes school and community groups. The gallery is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers by contacting the office in advance at gallery@exeter.edu or 603-777-3461.
