Our Current Exhibit

Artist Reception - Paula Decker Benfer

Friday, January 16

5:00 - 6:45 pm

Acclaimed Artist and Former Troy Educator Paula Decker Benfer Returns to Troy-Hayner Cultural Center with Solo Exhibit: Collage. Ink. Print.

The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is proud to welcome back a familiar face this winter. Collage. Ink. Print., a solo exhibition by acclaimed artist and retired Troy City Schools art teacher Paula Decker Benfer, will be on display from January 16 through February 15, 2026. There will be an artist reception on Friday, January 16 from 5:00 pm – 6:45 pm. The reception is a great opportunity to meet the artist. It is free to attend.

The exhibit features Collagraphs. Creating collagraphs is a physically demanding printmaking process where the artist builds a plate out of scavenged textures—like lace, hardware, and even fabric scraps—before hand-inking and running it through an etching press. The result is a unique, embossed artwork that invites the viewer to appreciate the intricate details of texture and story.

“I find collagraphs perfect to communicate stories of place, people, history, and social justice,” says Benfer. “It is heartwarming and an honor to be once again at home at the Troy Cultural Center. My images tell stories of my regional heritage—ideas pile up like laundry!”

Benfer’s 36-year career as an art educator in Troy deeply influenced her studio practice. Since retiring, her work has been shown in seven states and juried by leaders from the Rhode Island School of Design and the Minneapolis Museum of Art. This exhibition represents a significant "homecoming" for the artist, blending her professional accolades with her deep roots in the Troy community.



The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular Hayner hours.

First Floor Case Exhibit

Stoneware Pottery

by

Pamela J. Ridenour

(1948 - 2024)

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