Waynesburg University Fine Arts Gallery will host an art exhibit for local Pittsburgh artist, Joshua Hoffman, until Feb. 26. All students, faculty and community are welcome to visit the gallery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment.  

With each art exhibit on display at Waynesburg University, students have visual access to creative pieces from artists of different backgrounds and talents.

“It’s beautiful work and I wanted him [Hoffman] to bring his work to campus because it’s different than work we’ve had before,” Lisa Rasmussen, assistant professor of Fine Arts and Communication said. 

According to Hoffman, his artistic career began with the California University of Pennsylvania art program before his passion led him to Edinboro University. While at Edinboro, he had the opportunity to complete an independent study centered around the Plein Air painting style. 

Plein Air is an art style where the artist physically observes life outside and reconstructs the beauty on a canvas.

“Painting from life, you really get a much more accurate interpretation of value and color,” Hoffman said. “The essence of a place comes out a lot clearer when you’re painting from life as opposed to from a photograph.”

Before he began selling his art, Hoffman worked in social services as well as exploring “handy-man business.” Through discipline and hard work, he said, he never lost his passion for Plein Air. Every day, he dedicated time and effort to practice his craft.

“It’s a discipline almost, like where you do it every day, and the more you observe and take in,” Hoffman said. “So I try to stay calm and mindful whenever I’m getting ready to paint.”

Hoffman shared that entering art shows in 2021, such as the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh, was his initial introduction to selling his unique pieces. After participating in the fairs, Hoffman realized he could make a proper income from the art he created. Over the past few years, he worked with a concept gallery, completed commissions, taught art part-time and collaborated with an additional gallery in Washington, D.C.

In July of 2025, Hoffman attended Plein Air Easton, one of the top art contests nationwide. He proudly shared that he received third place overall, marking it a pivotal victory in his career.

“Ever since then, my work has been getting a good bit more notoriety. I think people are taking it more seriously,” Hoffman said.

As the Benedum Fine Arts Gallery director, Rasmussen also oversees all art gallery exhibitions.

“This art gallery exists to try to expose students, faculty and the public to art…because every exhibit that we have in here is different,” Rasmussen said. “The work is always different, because the students are always different, too. It’s [the gallery] really here to expose as many people as possible to art and the importance of art.”

Hoffman’s pieces currently on display are from his mid-summer collection to the present. In his art, he aims to point out “the beauty in everyday objects,” he said. “So I hope they [viewers] find it interesting, and I hope that they take a second look at the way they see their own neighborhood.”

To welcome Hoffman and his art to Waynesburg, an opening reception was held on Feb. 2. The public was invited to learn the inspiration behind Hoffman’s art.

“It went well, Rasmussen said. “A lot of people stopped on their way out and said ‘wow.’”

Rasmussen encourages more participation with art exhibits as they are a valuable source of creativity, and only about 100-150 people typically attend the art exhibits that Waynesburg hosts.

“It’d be nice to see more [people] because there’s a lot more people on campus,” Rasmussen said. 

Hoffman’s artwork will remain on display at the Benedum Fine Arts Gallery until Feb. 26. All are welcome Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment, to observe the exhibit firsthand.