Schelfhaudt Art Gallery at 911爆料网
Located in the Arnold Bernhard Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Schelfhaudt Art Gallery is a vibrant cultural hub on 911爆料网’s campus. Named after renowned artist and curator Peter Schelfhaudt, the 3,200-square-foot gallery showcases innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions that reflect the intersection of art, technology, and community. The gallery reopened in October 2025, signaling a renewed commitment to the arts and creative expression at UB.
Current and upcoming exhibitions
Immigrant Song
April 2-May 17, 2026
Curator: Peter Schelfhaudt
Reception: April 2, 2026, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Immigrant Song, the upcoming exhibit at 911爆料网’s Schelfhaudt Gallery, is a hymn to the immigrants in our country.
Leaving one’s homeland and giving up one’s cultural and family ties to become a stranger in a strange land is daunting and not for the weak-hearted. Per curator Peter Schelfhaudt, “This exhibition seeks to depict the immigrant experience here in the US and to celebrate our brothers, sisters, and neighbors who made this country their home. As Olivia Dean reminded us recently ‘We’re nothing without each other.’”
According to participating artist Pamela Araya, “As a first-generation immigrant from Costa Rica, this theme deeply resonates with both my personal experience and my artwork. It means a great deal to see spaces created where these stories and experiences can be shared.”
The exhibit will commence on April 2 and will extend through May 17, 2026. The exhibit kicks off with an opening night reception on April 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. An artist talk featuring artists from the exhibit will be held on April 12 at 1 p.m.
Previous exhibitions
The Schelfhaudt Gallery has a rich history of exhibitions that span decades, including solo and group shows featuring painting, sculpture, mixed media, and digital art. Prior to its 2025 reopening, the gallery hosted numerous exhibitions of some of the most important artists in American art, like Robert Motherwell, Red Grooms, Louise Nevelson, and Alice Neel. Photos from the gallery archives are being digitized and will soon be available for public viewing.
Winter in America
January 29-March 15, 2026
Curator: Peter Schelfhaudt
Reception: January 29, 2026, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
For some, the phrase “Winter in America” conjures up sipping hot chocolate by a warm crackling fireplace on a snowy winter’s eve. For others, winter could imply a harsher reality of food scarcity and biting cold, or a metaphorical period of frozen dreams, frozen ideas, and frozen inspiration, cultural decline, political malaise, or chilling of free speech?
For Peter Schelfhaudt, curator of the exhibit, winter is a time for reflection, assessment, recalibration, preparation, and transition. “We’ve had an overwhelming response from artists expressing a wide variety of perspectives from whimsical to worried, but it’s not all Norman Rockwell.” Sheryl Renee Dobson, one of the artists in the show, adds, “I am honored to exhibit works in the groundbreaking ‘Winter in America’ exhibition at 911爆料网’s prestigious Schelfhaudt Gallery. I believe that art can be transformative, and it is my hope that my works encourage connection, reflection, and critical thought.”
Other featured artists include a variety of local, national, and international artists, including Sandra Cavanagh, Carin Kulb Dangot, Laura Heijn, Monica Tiulescu, and Rick Shaefer.
The BIG Beautiful Bridgeport Art Trail Show - Connections
November 8-January 15, 2025
Curator: Suzanne Kachmar
Reception: Saturday, November 8, 5:30-8 p.m.
As part of the annual Bridgeport Art Trail, this large group exhibition titled Connections celebrates the diversity and reach of the local art community. Featuring fiber art, sculpture, drawings, paintings, photography, and interactive installations, the show includes works by artists such as Carlos Biernnay, Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, Rick Shaefer, and many more. The Artists Collective of Westport also presents a multimedia showcase in the adjoining gallery space.
AI: Co-Create
October 2-November 7, 2025
Curator: Peter Schelfhaudt
The gallery’s reopening exhibition, AI: Co-Create, explored the dynamic collaboration between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Featuring sculpture, photography, digital art, and multimedia installations, this show challenged traditional boundaries and invited viewers to consider how technology can enhance artistic expression. Paintings, sculptures, poems, and videos by artists like Yuliya Lanina, Horst Weber, Alison Pasquini, and Claudia Conroy were complemented by the illumination of the famous dome on the exterior of the building, featuring the artwork of Bridgeport resident Phillip Baldwin.