Caution: Artists at Work

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January 13, 2026

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During Fall 2025, students in ART342 – Graphic Design II: Publication & Exhibition Design collaborated to create and display their exhibition, “Caution: Flow and Fracture.” Featuring work by Faith Daniels, Leslie Dotson, Zoe Fielhauer, Avery Hambleton, MaKenna Hatherill, Oliva Irwin, Skyler LaForest, Savanna Mansell, Michael Miller, Karli Nixon, Sydnee Sheldon and MacKenzie Thompson, the exhibition is a focused examination of water systems and roadways — two vital yet often overlooked backbones of society — through the lens of Flint.

Both are essential for supporting life and society, but when neglected, they become sources of harm and division.

Contaminated water and deteriorating roads are deeply interconnected, revealing the state of our local communities and attitude towards the natural world.

These systems expose consequences of neglect, environmental imbalance, poor governance, and failing infrastructure.

The exhibition investigates how these issues intersect and how deterioration exposes underlying issues of access, inequality, and care.

“Caution: Flow and Fracture” invites viewers to reconsider systems we take for granted and reflect on their impact on our society and our responsibility in maintaining the structures that sustain us.

Michigan is lucky to be surrounded by the most fresh water in the world.

When disregarded, they can become contaminated and cracked, causing harm, and division.

Water systems and roadways are often overlooked but vital backbones of society. Both are crucial for carrying life and movement.

What holds us together? text overlaying a snowy landscape with a river and trees in the background.

Incorporating a mix of media — video, installation, photography, road signs, and poster design — the exhibition was collaboratively developed by the students throughout the semester.

A person sitting on a bench in a room, watching a projection of a colorful landscape with a river and trees on a wall. A traffic cone is placed on the floor in front of them.

A projection on a wall displays information about fish species and their health. In the foreground, there is a wooden bench, and two traffic cones are placed on the floor, marked with yellow tape. Photographs are hung on the wall to the right.

A projection on a wall displays the text "There is nothing more valuable than water," with a background of water. In the foreground, there are orange traffic cones and a black object resembling a branch or sculpture on the floor.

“The obvious topic is roads and water, but it ended up hinting at these huge problems with the structure of our society and how the public has been conditioned to have a dismissive attitude towards them (the roads are terrible – what else is new? Can’t trust the water – that’s just the way it is. Government officials/politicians never face consequences for their actions – yeah, that sounds about right. etc). I think this comes across in the cynical/sarcastic tone of some road signs and posters,” shared Karli Nixon.

A wall display featuring various caution and warning signs, including "Caution $ > Person," "Do Not Drink the Water," "Slippery When Dry," and "Road Closed (Permanently)." Below the wall, there are several empty water bottles arranged on the floor.

Led by Rob Carter, assistant professor of art, the students took the idea from concept to execution, working together to determine not only what kind of work would be displayed, but how it would be placed in the gallery.

A poster titled "CHEMICALS IN OUR WATER" featuring a graphic of a person with a beaker, listing various chemicals such as Pb, NaCl, hydrocarbons, Fe, and C, H, O, S. Below the poster, there are six bottles of varying sizes and colors displayed on a shelf.

“I learned how important it is to think about how individual pieces work together to communicate one idea,” noted Olivia Irwin. “It made me pay attention to how viewers move through a space and how our design choices shape their experience.”

A wall display featuring various posters and signs related to water issues in Flint, Michigan. The top left sign reads "Welcome to Flint," and other posters address topics like water contamination, environmental risks, and community concerns. Several bottles of water are lined up at the bottom.

For MaKenna Hatherhill, the process enhanced her conceptualization skills. ” I learned that it’s important to consider everyone’s ideas and hear them out fully before deciding how you feel,” she said. “At first, I couldn’t picture an exhibition about road construction, but that theme really brought the show to life, making it engaging and unique.”

“Caution: Flow and Fracture” is on display at the University of Michigan-Flint’s Harving Mott University Center Gallery through January 30th. The gallery is open to the public Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm.