Castellani Art Museum showcasing work of Abraham Ferraro

An immersive, site-specific installation redefining space and artistic process

Castellani Art Museum Press Release & Photo

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 Feb. 20 and running through Jan. 12, 2026, this exhibition challenges viewers to reconsider the intersection of art, architecture and artistic labor.

A nationally recognized multidisciplinary artist, Ferraro has built an extensive career marked by over 22 solo exhibitions at venues including Artists Space (New York), Rochester Contemporary Arts Center, and The Gallery at Penn College (Williamsport, Pennsylvania). 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 said. “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.

Images of “Abraham Ferraro: New Directions ↗ Going Up,” on display at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. (Submitted photos)

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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, but without approval from the art world institutions or viewers … does that even matter?” Ferraro said.

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 (2006). In addition to his studio practice, Ferraro serves as the fabrication shop manager at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, 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 from 5-7 p.m. March 6. 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.

For more information on CAM, visit www.castellaniartmuseum.org and follow on Facebook, X (@CAM_of_NU), and Instagram (@CastellaniArtMuseum).