The Bruce Gallery on the Edinboro campus of PennWest University will host artist and PennWest MFA alumna Rachel Maly for an artist talk and gallery tour at 1 p.m. Feb. 21. During the talk, Maly will discuss her project, “Fauna Obscurus Archive,” currently on view in the exhibition “Understanding Animals/Understanding Ourselves.” Maly and exhibition curator Cindy Persinger will discuss her work in relation to the broader themes in the exhibition.
“Understanding Animals/Understanding Ourselves” explores the ways in which artists have represented the roles of animals in society. Featuring selections of artwork from the 1500s to the present, the exhibition includes over 30 works from the Bruce Gallery’s permanent collection along with works lent by PennWest Edinboro alumni, professors and regional artists. Dr. Persinger designed the exhibition in conversation and collaboration with PennWest students. "Understanding Animals/Understanding Ourselves" is on view in the Bruce Gallery through March 9, 2025.
Rachel Maly is a sculptor and writer from Erie, Pennsylvania. She earned her MFA with a concentration in sculpture from PennWest University, and her BFA with a concentration in sculpture with minors in Art History, Jewelry/Metalsmithing and Ceramics at the PennWest Edinboro campus. In 2019, Maly was commissioned through a university grant to create a public art bench as part of Edinboro’s Art 100 celebration. Her two cast concrete benches, "Giant Chicken Foot Thrones," were installed in 2023 on the PennWest Edinboro campus and at Wainer Park in Edinboro. Her work and short stories were featured in Edinboro’s Chimera XVI and XVII exhibitions and were published in the Chimera XVI and XVII Journals.
ABOUT THE BRUCE GALLERY: Located on the Edinboro campus of PennWest University, the Bruce Gallery serves as a resource for students, scholars and the Northwestern Pennsylvania community. The gallery showcases selections from the permanent collection; from regional and national emerging and established artists; and work by faculty, students and alumni. The Bruce Gallery exhibitions and programs are generously funded through university facility and staffing support, as well as Edinboro’s Student Government Association (SGA), the university’s Art Department, and by special grants and partnerships.
PLAN YOUR VISIT: The Bruce Gallery is housed on the first floor of the Baron-Forness Library, 200 Tartan Rd., Edinboro, PA. The gallery is free and open to the public during library operating hours. You can find more information about the Bruce Gallery's exhibitions and programs at brucegallery.info.