Alteronce Gumby Brings Home Memories and Color in If Herr Street Could Talk at Susquehanna Art Museum

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Katharina Balgavy. Courtesy of BODE Gallery and Alteronce Gumby Studio

AIRED; November 24, 2025

Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.

Harrisburg native and award-winning abstract artist Alteronce Gumby is bringing his work home with a new exhibition at the Susquehanna Art Museum titled If Herr Street Could Talk. The show features 25 pieces that explore color, material, and memory, highlighting Gumby’s distinctive use of broken glass and gemstones layered on acrylic paintings.

“It’s always good to come back home and see what has changed since I left,” Gumby said. “It’s always nice to see my family, especially my nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews, so seeing the kids growing up… it’s just nice to come back and see the old town.”

Gumby grew up on Allison Hill and spent much of his youth around Herr Street, visiting his grandmothers’ homes and exploring the neighborhood. He describes how his childhood experiences shaped the process behind his art: “My work is very process-based, and that process reminds me of the time I used to go to my grandmother’s house and help her work on her puzzles. Putting one piece down after another creating an image… the process kind of reminds me of my time being spent on Herr Street.”

Alteronce Gumby and Alice Anne Schwab

The title of the exhibit reflects the personal and historical resonance of the neighborhood. “The composition of the painting If Herr Street Could Talk is almost referencing a hill… memories of family ties… childhood memories and things like that are embedded in it,” Gumby said.

After studying architecture and traveling to Spain during a study abroad program, Gumby’s artistic path expanded. “That trip… I went to the Picasso Museum, and that was my first time stepping foot inside an art museum. When I came back, I had seen a different path… it ignited a passion for travel, adventure, and discovery,” he recalled. His journey took him from community college to Hunter College, then to Yale, and now to the Bronx, New York, where he continues to create.

Alice Anne Schwab, executive director of the Susquehanna Art Museum, shared why bringing Gumby’s work home was important. “There is a piece called If Herr Street Could Talk and we knew we had to get that piece… it’s one of the earlier pieces in this show and very important to include,” she said. Schwab also praised the collaborative effort in curating the exhibit. “It was a process… a lot of individual communication with people who owned some of the pieces. The collectors feel like they’re all a part of this as well.”

If Herr Street Could Talk will be on view at the Susquehanna Art Museum through February 22, 2026, offering the community a chance to experience Gumby’s vibrant, evocative work and to reflect on the stories embedded in the streets of his childhood.