Join us at Castellani Art Museum on April 24, 2025, for an unforgettable opening reception, featuring three remarkable exhibitions that each tell poignant stories. Enjoy light refreshments and an opportunity to talk with the talented artists and individuals who created these works.
Bridgid Kennedy: Social Fabric explores thought-provoking themes of social justice, mindfulness, and our connection to the environment through stunning narrative paintings. Each work offers a chance to reflect on the beauty and complexity of daily life while engaging with important contemporary issues.
Jessica Gadra: Fact in Fantasy features the enchanting illustrations of Buffalo artist Jessica Gadra. Curated by students in NU’s Exhibiting Cultures course, the exhibition reimagines fairy tales and mythology. Gadra’s work explores these timeless stories while reflecting on their cultural relevance today.
Glitched Reality: AI Meets CAM’s Collection is a student pop-up exhibition where Niagara University and Niagara Falls High School students use AI to use CAM’s permanent collection as inspiration for their own original works. By blending digital tools with personal expression, students explore themes of identity, environmental change, and the future of art. This exhibition challenges how we see and interact with art, bridging the past and present through the creative “glitch” of AI.
Pre-Reception Tour: CAM Members can enjoy a 4:30 pre-reception tour with artist Brigid Kennedy and Director Ellen Owens. Get your tour ticket here. Members signing up for the tour do not have to sign up for the reception—you are welcome to simply stay after the tour and enjoy!
Reception: From 5:00–7:00 p.m., the general public, Niagara University campus, and CAM members become the first to see these new exhibitions and meet the artists behind them.
5:15 p.m. | Meet & Greet with International Marking Students & Guest Curator
Jessica Minicucci
5:45 p.m. | Remarks
6:00 p.m. | Meet & Greet with Exhibiting Cultures students & Curator Ed Millar
6:15 p.m. | Meet & Greet with Brigid Kennedy & Director Ellen Owens
Afterparty: From 7:00-9:00, keep your creative conversations going by joining CAM staff and the artists at an afterparty at Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen. Enjoy a specialty cocktail and great snacks at the cash bar. No RSVP required. Located at 402 Center Street, Lewiston, NY 14092.
Parking available in Castellani, Gallagher, and Dwyer lots (see confirmation email for more information). RSVP by April 21.
Image Credits:
Brigid Kennedy (American, b. 1951), The Quality of Mercy, 2020, acrylic, pen on Dura-Lar polymer film, variable sizes. Image courtesy of Brigid Kennedy.
(detail) Jessica Gadra, Gnomish Mount. 2023. Pen and Ink and watercolor. Image courtesy of Jessica Gadra.
These exhibitions are made possible in part through the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The Castellani Art Museum (CAM) at the center of the Niagara University campus is dedicated to the enjoyment and educational potential of artistic creativity. As a major resource for the visual arts in Niagara County, the CAM's permanent collection includes over 5,000 pieces of mainly modern and contemporary art, and hosts a unique Folk Arts Program supporting traditional artists and community-based cultural traditions in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
In keeping with Niagara University's Vincentian mission, the museum recognizes and serves the diverse racial, ethnic, and religious communities of the Niagara region through the organization and presentation of exhibitions which honor and explore their artistic traditions and contemporary output. In addition to presenting diverse artistic expressions, the museum works in partnerships to explore and redefine the relationship between the museum and its constituencies.
As a university museum, the Castellani Art Museum serves the educational needs of the community, by working with Niagara University faculty on integrative learning projects for college students and providing art education programs for area schools and cultural organizations. The museum staff works with educators to develop art-based learning programs that help to promote critical thinking.
Visit us online at https://castellaniartmuseum.org/
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