AVA BREIGHNER

Cumberland, Maryland  ·  avabreighner@gmail.com  ·  avabreighner.com  ·  linkedin.com/in/avabreighner

EDUCATION

2026 BFA, Fine Arts, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD

Summa cum laude, 4.0 GPA. Departmental Honors in Art and Design. Minors in Art History and Theatre.

2024–25 Study Abroad Year, Fine Arts, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Contemporary Fine Arts module with collaborative coursework at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023 Debut Solo Exhibition, Bev Walker Gallery, Cumberland, MD

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2026 Lumina: Senior BFA Exhibition, Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD

2026 Cat's Cradle Collective (exhibitor and coordinator), C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts, Cumberland, MD

2026 Featured Artist, Knights of St. Andrew Auction for The Children's League, Cumberland Masonic Temple, Cumberland, MD

2025 Absoluteness: Student Cohort Exhibition, Gallery North, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

2025 Western Maryland Studio Artist Tours, C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts, Cumberland, MD

2022–26 FSU Annual Student Exhibition (2022, 2023, 2024, 2026), Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery, Frostburg, MD

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2026 Stephanie Ann Roper Retrospective (coordinator), Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery, Frostburg, MD

2024 Kappa Pi Spring Art Exhibition (curator), C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts, Cumberland, MD

2023–24 Basecamp Coffee Co. storefront art display (organizer), Cumberland, MD

RESEARCH & PRESENTATIONS

2026 “Aura, Institution, and the Colonial Object: Walter Benjamin's Theory of Reproduction and the Repatriation Debate,” FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium (MD-SOAR: http://hdl.handle.net/11603/42783 ), Frostburg, MD

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2026 Summer Research Intern, Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD

Researched and produced a permanent poster installation on the art history of Frederick County, now on public display. Archival research and object handling in the Maryland Archives, Hood College archives, and regional collections; established attributions, dates, and reproduction permissions.

2024 Gallery Assistant, Ferleman Gallery, Cumberland, MD

Installation and handling of original artworks; visitor engagement and exhibition openings.

LEADERSHIP & SERVICE

2026-Artistic Committee Co-Chair, C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts, Cumberland, MD

2023–24 President, Kappa Pi International Art Honor Society, Beta Mu Chapter, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD

Reinstated the dormant chapter and led its exhibitions, workshops, and programming.

2022– Volunteer, Allegany County Historical Society, Cumberland, MD

Lead tour facilitator for Heritage Days; artifact handling, display curation, and educational tour scripts.

2026– Member, Allegany Arts Council, Cumberland, MD

SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHY COMMISSIONS

2026 Author Renee Bracey Sherman’s Book Reading Event, Women’s Health Center of Maryland, Cumberland, MD

2026 Allegany National Photography Competition & Exhibition, Allegany Arts Council, Cumberland, MD

2026 The Original Renaissance Fair: The Field of the Cloth of Gold, Mountainside Baroque, Cumberland, MD

2025 Mountain Maryland Film Festival, Allegany Arts Council, Cumberland, MD

2025 20th Annual Robert Burns Supper, Knights of Saint Andrew, Cumberland, MD

THEATRE & DESIGN

2026 Album Cover Designer, The Downstrokes, Cumberland, MD

2024 Poster Designer & Performer, Martin & Margaret and the M.I.N.D.S.W.A.P., FSU Theatre Program, Frostburg, MD

2023 Artistic/Properties Designer, Nate the Great, FSU Theatre Program, Frostburg, MD

2023 Artistic/Properties Designer, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, FSU Theatre Program, Frostburg, MD

2023 Coordinator, The Pemberley Ball, FSU Theatre Program, Frostburg, MD

2023 Costume Designer/Set Dresser, Family Dinner, 301 Stories, Frostburg, MD

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Talent in the Arts Scholarship · Jonathan A. Berkowitz Memorial Scholarship · Lalitta Nash McKaig Scholarship · Allegany County Opportunity Scholarship · Bobcats Beyond Borders Study Abroad Scholarship · Harold R. Rowe International Scholarship · Brooke R. Kirchner Student Alumni Engagement Scholarship · George C. Edwards Senatorial Scholarship