Abby Cipar

Exhibition: TBD

October 8 - November 1, 2025

During their residency at Akron Soul Train, Abby Cipar will expand upon their ongoing series, Trans-plants, a collection of highly-embellished soft sculptures. Their work will explore new techniques in small metals, natural dyes, paper-making, and mixed media, drawing from their background in painting and a deep interest in the Queer frequencies of the natural world. Cipar aims to reconnect with sustainable, natural material processes, shifting away from synthetic colors and materials in favor of a more authentic, ecological palette. Their residency will also involve collaboration with local community members focused on sustainable practices like foraging and natural dyeing, reflecting themes of transition and Queer becoming outside of capitalist norms.

Abby Cipar (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist, arts advocate, curator, and wage laborer with roots in Northeast Ohio. Cipar received a BFA from The University of Akron (2021) and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art (2024). In addition to other notable honors, Cipar was a 2023 recipient of the Stewart Thomson Fellowship for attending Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the 2019 Folk Charitable Foundation Venice Biennale Travel Award. Their work was included in Cleveland’s 2022 CAN Triennial, and they have exhibited at The Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), PLAYGROUND DETROIT (Detroit, Michigan), Piano Craft Gallery (Boston, Massachusetts), River House Arts (Toledo, Ohio), Wavelength Space (Chattanooga, Tennessee), and The Sculpture Center (Cleveland, Ohio), among others. In addition to numerous private collections, their work is in the care of Emily Davis Gallery (Akron, Ohio) and Akron Children’s Hospital (Akron, Ohio). Cipar's projects for 2025 additionally include co-curating FRESH: Soft Offerings at Summit Artspace (Akron, Ohio) and solo shows at The McDonough Museum of Art (Youngstown, Ohio) and 934 Gallery (Columbus, Ohio).