“Space Swim,” featuring the work of Pittsburgh artist Carolina Alamilla, opens Monday at Youngstown State University’s Judith Rae Solomon Gallery.

Alamilla is an artist and curator. Her creative practice is driven by the concept of home, playfulness and ever-changing cultural identity. She uses her hand-building and mold-making skills to produce multiples that lead to altered scenes of everyday life.

According to McDonough Museum of Art Director Claudia Berlinski, “She is quite an accomplished artist and educator and a great example of professionalism in her field. Her artwork is a surprising blend of humor and fantasy and will be a lovely respite from the winter weather and gray days.”

Alamilla has a master’s degree in ceramics and transmedia from Texas Tech University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She is a curatorial fellow with Stay Home Gallery, a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor of studio art at Washington & Jefferson College.

In her artist statement, Alamilla says, “We don’t fit in the past, nor do we know the future. We are looking to swim freely, and safely amidst chaos and fear. “Space Swim” echoes the hope found in astronaut portraits, and sunny days by the pool. It is in searching and developing one’s identity that we find ourselves in a space that is free from burdens, even if the so-called free space is in a constructed experience of a pool.”

The Women’s History Month exhibition will be on display through March 30 at the gallery, located on the second floor of Bliss Hall. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and admission is free. For more information, call the McDonough at 330-941-1400.