Lufrano Intercultural Gallery
Located in UNF’s Student Union, the Lufrano Gallery is a space dedicated to showcasing visual art that reflects a wide range of cultural experiences and perspectives. The gallery presents exhibitions that explore themes such as community, heritage, identity, and global connections, often featuring artists whose work offers fresh and thought-provoking viewpoints. By encouraging dialogue through art, the Lufrano Gallery enriches the cultural fabric of the university and fosters a deeper understanding of the world around us.
The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery was established in 2009 thanks to the vision of Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, former Vice President for Student and International Affairs, and the generous gifts of Dr. Anne and Dr. Robert Lufrano. This Gallery plays an important role in educating and enlightening UNF students, faculty, staff, and the Jacksonville community on social justice and environmental issues and awareness.
EXHIBITIONS
ZAKRIYA RABANI: DIVINE DECKS, JAX
July 10 – September 24, 2026
The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery presents a new site-specific installation by Zakriya Rabani, whose work draws from skateboarding culture, everyday materials, and personal memory to create immersive sculptural environments. Using found objects and playful shifts in scale, Rabani responds directly to the gallery’s architecture—inviting viewers to consider how movement, risk, humor, and lived experience shape us and our connection to others.
The project incorporates donated skateboards, which Rabani has used in previous installations: “I believe that skateboards can be a model or reference, that they have the ability to show us symbols created by their owners, representing human or social behavior. Each deck has an abundance of information, there have been marks made, gouges, scratches, cracks, splinters, water damage and more. But there are also the cosmetics of each, that can capture the authenticity of the skater. The griptape (top) and graphics (bottom) are covered with carefully placed stickers, drawings and graffiti, making every deck more unique. These symbols and marks are a key to better understand skate culture and its influence in our lives.”
This exhibition was curated by Ian Carey, Curator of UNF Galleries in the UNF Department of Art, Art History, and Design, part of the College of Arts and Sciences.
EMPTY BOWLS
October 8 –November 11, 2026
Empty Bowls is an upcoming exhibition and community-engagement program presented in collaboration with the Ceramics area at the University of North Florida. The exhibition will showcase ceramic bowls produced for the nationally recognized “Empty Bowls” initiative, a grassroots movement within the ceramics community that employs handmade vessels to raise awareness of food insecurity and support local food banks, positioning artmaking as a catalyst for social good.
This project integrates student work with contributions from nationally renowned ceramic artists, demonstrating both the expressive and functional capacities of clay while emphasizing collective action and service. The bowls will be presented in this curated exhibition and subsequently auctioned, with all proceeds directed to food banks in the Jacksonville area. Empty Bowls affirms the University’s dedication to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and civic engagement by linking artistic practice to significant community impact.
This exhibition was curated by Ian Carey, Curator of UNF Galleries, with Professor of Ceramics Stephen Heywood and Associate Professor of Ceramics Trevor Dunn, in the UNF Department of Art, Art History, and Design, part of the College of Arts and Sciences.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
SENIOR EXHIBITION FALL 2026
November 19 – December 14, 2026
Opening Reception: November 19, 5–7 p.m.
Come celebrate the creativity and vision of our graduating BFA students at the Fall 2026 Senior Exhibition, hosted by the UNF Gallery of Art and the Department of Art, Art History & Design. This lively exhibition features innovative works in many media, each piece revealing the artists’ unique stories, bold ideas, and years of hard work. You’ll see everything from striking installations to carefully made paintings, offering a look at the voices shaping the future of contemporary art. Join us for the opening reception at both the UNF Gallery of Art and the Lufrano Intercultural Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. on November 19 and enjoy this exciting showcase of new talent.
GEORGE LIEBERT
January 15 – April 7, 2026
This upcoming exhibition presents the work of George Liebert, a Chicago‑based painter, printmaker, and educator whose practice bridges direct observation, digital translation, and painterly abstraction. For more than four decades, Liebert has explored the complex relationship between humans and the natural world, examining the tension between a longing for nature and a contemporary sense of alienation from it through a rigorous and evolving studio methodology.
Liebert’s artistic process begins with traditional plein‑air studies, grounding his work in close observation of landscape, light, and atmosphere. These studies are subsequently filtered through digital processes and print media before being reincorporated into paintings and works on paper. The resulting compositions expand watercolor, ink, and painting into layered, calligraphic abstractions that reference the history of landscape painting while asserting a distinctly contemporary visual language.
In the studio, Liebert transforms field sketches into works that emphasize gesture, rhythm, and chromatic relationships. Moving fluidly between representation and abstraction, his paintings function as meditations on place rather than literal depictions. Landscape becomes a psychological and perceptual space shaped by memory, technology, and the act of translation itself, inviting viewers to slow down and reconsider their relationship to the natural environment.
Liebert’s influence extends beyond his studio practice through a distinguished career in arts education. He has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since the late 1970s across Painting and Drawing, Print media, and foundational programs. From 1989 to 2003, he served as Resident Director and Associate Program Director of Ox‑Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, where his lasting impact on generations of artists is recognized through an endowed scholarship established in his name. Seen within the broader context of Chicago art history, Liebert’s work resonates with aspects of the Chicago Imagist Tradition, particularly in its idiosyncratic use of mark‑making, personal visual language, and commitment to process. Together, the works in this exhibition illuminate his sustained inquiry into landscape, perception, and material experimentation, situating his practice within both regional legacy and contemporary discourse.
SENIOR EXHIBITION SPRING 2027
April 15 – May 3, 2027
Opening Reception: April 15, 5–7 p.m.
The UNF Gallery of Art and the Depart of Art, Art History and Design are proud to present the Spring 2027 Senior Showcase. A selection of works from our graduating BFA student. These talented young artists have spent their academic journey exploring, challenging, and defining their vision and practice. The work spans across a multitude of mediums, themes, and techniques, reflecting not only their personal narratives but also their shared experiences in a rapidly evolving world. This exhibit serves as both a culmination of their academic endeavors and an introduction of their voices to the broader art community. From thought-provoking installations to intricate paintings, each piece stands as a testament to their dedication, innovation, and passion.
We invite you to immerse yourself in their stories, witness their growth, and celebrate the emergence of a new generation of artists who are sure to leave an indelible mark on the art world. Join us in honoring their achievements and embarking on a journey through their unique and visionary perspectives.
How to Visit
The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery is located on the second floor of the Student Union, Building 58E, Suite 2401.
Open Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The most convenient place to park when visiting the Lufrano Intercultural Gallery is in Parking Garage 38. UNF charges $5 for parking (no charge after 5:00 p.m. on Fridays). For information about parking permits and daily passes, please see Parking and Transportation Services.