Lewisburg – Carnegie Hall’s May/June ArtWalk exhibits opened with three galleries showcasing the works of four accomplished artists. The Lobby Gallery, located in the Hamilton Auditorium, features “The World Within” by poet and artist Kelly McQuain.

Kelly McQuain grew up in West Virginia and now works as a college professor in Philadelphia teaching creative writing in ways that are infused by visual art. His paintings have been showcased at Philadelphia at City Hall, the National Liberty Museum, the Barnes Foundation, Cerulean Arts Gallery, and the William Way LGBTQ Center. His last show in West Virginia was at the Lost River Trading Post in Wardensville, W.Va., in 2024. Besides winning numerous prizes and having his work featured on book covers and in magazines, McQuain was also recently honored as the 2023 Featured Artist for Art Ability, an annual international art show featuring works by artists living with disabilities. Philadelphia’s 6ABC Action News even named him an honorary “Hometown Hero” for his arts advocacy in relation to the show. His new exhibit at Carnegie Hall, The World Within, depicts a wild fusion of humankind and nature—McQuain’s own unique, kaleidoscopic take on traditional folk art and textile pattens. Look closely and you’ll find animals hidden in flowers and flowers blossoming into people, images that can be interpreted in multiple ways once you unleash your imagination and let it out to play.