Art Exhibition "For" Opens October 20th at Pitt-Bradford

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will present “For,” a multimedia art exhibition by artist, writer, and arts administrator Sayward Schoonmaker, from Oct. 20 through Dec. 5, 2025, in the KOA Art Gallery, Blaisdell Hall.

The opening reception will be at noon on Oct. 20, and admission is free.

“For” brings together sculpture, video, and text to explore how people experience celebration, grief and even the weather. Schoonmaker draws inspiration from many sources — including fabric arts, field guides, and other experimental forms — to build a living archive and develop a poetic way of expressing shared human emotions and connections.

Schoonmaker’s artwork has been shown nationally at venues such as Weinberg/Newton Gallery and Adds Donna gallery, both in Chicago; the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, N.Y.; and the Brattleboro (Vt.) Museum and Art Center. She has held residencies at Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport, Maine; Monson Arts in Monson, Maine; Arteles Creative Center in Finland; and Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vt.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in studio art from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a Master of Fine Arts in fiber and materials studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Master of Library and Information Science from Syracuse (N.Y.) University. Schoonmaker currently serves as artistic director of Stone Quarry Art Park, a contemporary outdoor art space in central New York.

This exhibition is part of the 2025–26 Pitt-Bradford Arts season, which offers visual arts, performances, and literary programming to students, faculty, and the broader community.

For more on this exhibition and other upcoming arts events, visit upb.pitt.edu/arts.