Niagara University, New York: February 17, 2025 – Castellani Art Museum of Niagara
University is proud to present Abraham Ferraro: New Directions ↗ Going Up, a site-specific
exhibition that transforms the museum’s Central Gallery into an immersive, gravity-defying
installation. Opening on February 20, 2025, and running through January 12, 2026, this
exhibition challenges viewers to reconsider the intersection of art, architecture, and artistic
labor.
A nationally recognized multidisciplinary artist, Abraham Ferraro has built an extensive
career marked by over 22 solo exhibitions at venues including Artists Space (New York, NY),
Rochester Contemporary Arts Center (Rochester, NY), and The Gallery at Penn College
(Williamsport, PA). His work is featured in prominent museum and university collections such
as the Albany Institute of History & Art, Washington & Jefferson College, and SUNY Fredonia
University Art Museum. Known for pushing the boundaries of artistic convention, Ferraro
blends interactive installation, performance, and conceptual sculpture to challenge notions
of authorship, process, and audience participation.
For New Directions ↗ Going Up, Ferraro reimagines his signature installation style by
embracing the verticality of the museum space. Rather than occupying the gallery floor,
Ferraro’s sculptures ascend the walls and ceiling, responding directly to CAM’s architectural
constraints while pushing his artistic practice to new heights. Over the course of two weeks,
the artist and installation team painstakingly transformed the space, creating a dynamic,
site-responsive environment where viewers must look up, around, and through layers of
sculptural elements to fully engage with the work.
“My art is about art,” Ferraro states. “It describes the processes and situations that all artists
find themselves in.” This exhibition expands that idea, making the physical labor of art-
making a visible part of the installation itself, poking fun at these activities.
At the heart of the exhibition is Directions (2011–present), Ferraro’s ongoing series of mailable
sculptures. Constructed from recycled cardboard boxes, each piece bears the marks of its
journey—postage labels, shipping stickers, and travel-worn surfaces—blurring the line
between artwork and functional object. With every exhibition, new works are added to the
series, mailed individually to each venue. At the Castellani, these pieces take on a new form,
suspended overhead to create a sculptural topography that responds to the Museum’s
unique spatial dynamics.
Also featured in the exhibition is As If…/NOT, part 3 (Sisyphus’s Neurotransmission), an
interactive installation that humorously critiques the myth of artistic creation. Visitors are
invited to either “MAKE ART” by flipping oversized light switches or reject it entirely by
pressing a flashing red button, which triggers a cacophony of lights. “As an artist, I can
declare a piece to be art,” Ferraro remarks, “but without approval from the art world
institutions or viewers… Does that even matter?” This work playfully yet critically examines
the power dynamics that define artistic legitimacy.
Together, these installations explore the challenges, expectations, and absurdities of the
creative process while making the act of art-making itself an immersive experience for the
viewer. Ferraro’s work, deeply influenced by Pop Art masters such as Roy Lichtenstein, Betty
Gold, and Andy Warhol, incorporates humor, irony, and satire to reveal both the personal and
universal struggles of artistic labor. His work has been widely published in art and culture
magazines, including Climbing Magazine, Climb, Hyperdrawing: Beyond the Lines of
Contemporary Art, and Gambling the Isle, and his video documentaries have been featured
on the home pages of YouTube.
A recipient of multiple awards—including “Best in Show” at the Made in New York exhibitions
(2010, 2012)—Ferraro was also a resident at Sculpture Space in Utica, NY (2006). In addition to
his studio practice, Ferraro serves as the Fabrication Shop Manager at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute in Troy, NY, where he mentors and collaborates with emerging artists and engineers
to explore new frontiers in sculpture and installation art.
Abraham Ferraro: New Directions ↗ Going Up will open alongside Inkfluence with a public
reception on March 6, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Ahead of the reception, Ferraro will host
an exclusive members-only preview, offering insights into his work and artistic evolution.
Admission to the Castellani Art Museum is free and open to all. For more information on
Abraham Ferraro: New Directions ↗ Going Up, visit castellaniartmuseum.org.
This exhibition was made possible in part through the support of the New York State Council
on the Arts, the Office of the Governor, and the New York State Legislature.
About the Castellani Art Museum:
With learning and public access at the heart of its mission, CAM is the premier resource for
the visual arts in Niagara County. The Museum’s permanent collection includes over 5,000
pieces of modern and contemporary art, Niagara Falls art, and regional Folk Arts. CAM is
committed to the preservation of these artworks, along with offering exhibitions and
programs that serve the campus, local communities, and tourists.
For more information on the CAM, please visit www.castellaniartmuseum.org and follow CAM
on Facebook, X (@CAM_of_NU), and Instagram (@CastellaniArtMuseum).