CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Weil Gallery at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi opens its doors Thursday evening to Residue, a striking MFA thesis exhibition by Ian Manseau — sculptor, photographer, and Air Force veteran — that turns the toxic legacy of military burn pit exposure into a powerful act of witness and remembrance.
The opening reception takes place Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Weil Gallery on the first floor of the Center for the Arts. The exhibition runs through March 30, 2026.
800 Vessels, One Formation
At the center of Residue stands a formation of 800 ceramic vessels — each one infused with donated military uniforms before being fired in a kiln. As the heat intensifies, the fabric burns away, leaving carbon permanently bonded to the clay's surface. The resulting chemical reactions yield unpredictable glazes — stark whites, deep blacks, gunmetal and chrome tones — produced through reduction firing. No two surfaces are the same and every piece bears the marks of fire, smoke, and sacrifice.
The arrangement is deliberate. The formation mirrors the order and discipline of military structure, while each vessel quietly tells its own story of transformation through destruction.
From Kiln to Paper: A Full Cycle of Residue
The exhibition extends beyond ceramics. Charcoal collected after firing is flocked onto Combat Paper — handmade sheets crafted from recycled military uniforms by veteran artist Drew Cameron of combatpaper.org. The resulting prints layer the literal residue of fire over abstracted medical imagery referencing respiratory illness, cellular damage, and the fragile health uncertainty many veterans carry long after deployment.
The dual mediums — clay and paper, fire and ash — create a complete cycle: material in, material transformed, material carried forward.
A Personal Reckoning
For Manseau, Residue is not abstract. It is an autobiography.
"Residue grew out of my own experience with exposure," he says. "I served fourteen years in the Air Force, including time in Afghanistan, where burn pits were a constant presence. This work is a way of confronting that history and transforming it into something visible — something we can gather around, reflect on, and acknowledge together."
Burn pits — large open-air sites used to incinerate waste at military bases overseas — have been linked to a range of serious health conditions in veterans, including respiratory disease and certain cancers. Tens of thousands of veterans have reported lasting health effects from exposure. Residue carries its mission beyond the walls of the gallery. Ten percent of proceeds from the series will be donated to Burn Pits 360, a Texas-based nonprofit that advocates for veterans affected by burn pit exposure and works to secure access to healthcare and benefits.
Ian Manseau is completing his Master of Fine Arts at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. His work spans sculpture, ceramics, photography, and printmaking, with a focus on veteran experience and environmental legacy.
For more information, contact the Weil Gallery at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.
Exhibition Details
- Opening Reception: Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 5:00 p.m.
- Exhibition Dates: March 5 – March 30, 2026
- Location: Weil Gallery, Center for the Arts (1st Floor) Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78412
- Admission: Free and open to the public
