Penn State Altoona to exhibit artwork by Kiki Gaffney

ALTOONA, Pa. - "Symphonic Worlds," a body of work by Ivyside Juried Art Exhibition winner Kiki Gaffney, will be on display from Oct. 31 through Dec. 14 in the Sheetz Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Gaffney is a visual artist who works primarily in graphite, oil, and acrylic. Her work is highly detailed and explores the natural environment through recognizable imagery in combination with conceptual and abstract ideas. She received a bachelor of arts degree in studio arts from Loyola College in 1993 and a master of fine arts in painting from the University of the Arts in 1999. Gaffney has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the country, including at the Woodmere Art Museum, The Delaware Contemporary, and the Southern Utah Museum of Art. Her work has been recognized by renowned curators and artists such as Robert Storr, Elaine Reichek, Odili Donald Odita and Eileen Neff.

Gaffney has been awarded many artist residencies, including several at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and at the Denver Botanic Gardens and The Montello Foundation, both in 2023. Gaffney is represented by Pentimenti Gallery, Modern West Fine Art, and K. Imperial Fine Art.

Gaffney explores the complexity of the natural world through both representational and abstract systems that illustrate the intersection of external conditions with inner emotion, imagination and memory. She states, "The natural world can be viewed as a metaphor for life in its vulnerability, resilience, transformation and impermanence. It is a space for pause and contemplation, which is the underlying theme of my work."

The galleries are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For further information, call the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts at 814-949-5452.