About the exhibition:
In response to the widely publicized mismanagement and sudden closure of the University of the Arts, this exhibition shifts the spotlight to the legacy, resilience, and interconnectedness of the artists who thrived within its confines and flow from its ashes.
Each artist in this exhibition is part of a larger legacy: that of UArts’ most precious yet underappreciated asset, its community. It is unfair that the school’s misdeeds have overshadowed the stories of these incredible artists, so join us in celebrating them now.
As we highlight this continuum of intergenerational relationships and artistic practices, we shift focus to the important message: the hard work, mentorship, and collaboration of artists—not institutions—shape the arts.
No Vessel Can Hold the River” was curated using the relationships between the exhibiting artists as its central focus. Former long-standing UArts professors and established artists, Charles Cooper, Lowell Boston, Michael Grothusen, Michele Kishita, and Patty Smith, were asked to nominate former students who made an imprint on them and vice versa. From there, the works of Alana Walters, Alison Bermudez, Anh Ly, Feyisara Olalowo, Jessica Cumberbatch, Kay Healy, Leah Mackin, Prince De Leon, Bean Carpinelli, Hayden Caico, Manny Taveras, and Samantha Aghassi were curated into the exhibition.
Work was selected to showcase a lineage of visual art, honor the past, and inspire hope for the future while emphasizing each artistic journey. To help convey a richer, more personal understanding of these connections, the exhibition catalog features each artist’s answers to the following interview questions:
What impact has your time at UArts had on you?
What kind of legacy do you hope to leave as an artist and/or as a person?
What does your future look like?
UArts: No Vessel Can Hold The River will be on view in Gallery 1 from July 31 - August 25, 2025 with an opening reception on Saturday, August 2nd from 4-7 pm.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
Alana Walters, Alison Bermudez, Anh Ly, Feyisara Olalowo, Jessica Cumberbatch, Kay Healy, Leah Mackin, Prince De Leon, Bean Carpinelli, Hayden Caico, Manny Taveras, and Samantha Aghassi
ABOUT THE CURATOR:
Veronica Cianfrano is a curator, multimedia artist, teacher, the youngest of three daughters, and a first-generation American.
In 2010, she received her MFA in Painting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she discovered the need for better access to the arts. There she started CHER, a collaborative pop-up gallery; the mission of which was to bring thematically relevant contemporary art exhibitions to communities that don’t normally experience them by organizing temporary events, happenings, and exhibitions in alternative spaces.
In 2011 she co-founded Manifesto-ish, an online artist in residence program that allows artists of merit from any background and in any location to realize a project with the help of a team, receive consistent critical feedback for their work, participate in panel discussions, and exhibit their work digitally.
She is an educator with over eight years of experience teaching studio art and art theory courses to pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate students nationally and internationally. Veronica has over ten years of experience curating exhibitions and five years of experience as a Gallery Director. She lives in Philadelphia with her partner and two cats.