Schelfhaudt Gallery at University of Bridgeport

Located in the Arnold Bernhard Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Schelfhaudt Gallery is a vibrant cultural hub on University of Bridgeport’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

Artwork from Between Universes exhibition Artwork from Between Universes exhibition

Between Universes

June 11-August 31, 2026
Curator(s): Peter Schelfhaudt, Su-Min Yang
Reception: June 11, 2026, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

“Between Universes,” the new art exhibit at Schelfhaudt Gallery, opens on June 11, 2026.

To gaze at the cosmos is to encounter a paradox. It may evoke a profound sense of insufficiency and isolation, while equally offering a realm of boundless possibilities.

“Between Universes” is an international curatorial collaboration curated by Taiwan-based curator Su-Min Yang, U.S.-based curator Peter Schelfhaudt, and U.S.-based Taiwanese artist Eric Chiang, featuring the artwork of Taiwanese artists Chuang Chih-Hui and Eric Chiang.

Taiwanese philosophical and artistic heritage attends to the relationship between mind, body, and environment as central to how we perceive and experience the world. The exhibit’s primary goal, according to curator Peter Schelfhaudt, is to present artwork deeply rooted in this heritage; but the deeper objective is to explore the interplay between inner experience and outer reality — and how each continuously shapes the other.

The exhibit begins on June 11, with an opening-night reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and will extend through August 31, 2026. The opening-night reception will feature the world premiere of Eric Chiang’s musical composition, “Between Universes.” An art talk by the exhibiting artists will be held on June 18 at 6 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.

  • Artwork from Immigrant Song exhibition

    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 University of Bridgeport’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.”

  • Artwork from the Winter in America exhibition

    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 University of Bridgeport’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.

  • Art from the Connections exhibition

    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.

  • Art from the AI Co-Create exhibition

    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.

Artist talks

Explore the ideas, inspiration, and creative process behind the work in the Schelfhaudt Gallery. This ongoing series features curators and exhibiting artists discussing the meaning behind their work across a range of exhibitions, themes, and mediums.

Press and media coverage