UNA Art Gallery Exhibits Late Alumna Catherine Goode Moeller’s Collection
Feb. 19, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama Department of Visual Arts and Design is celebrating the creative legacy and works of Florence native and UNA Alumna Catherine Goode Moeller at the UNA Art Gallery through the month of February. The exhibit, A Life of Soulful
Pursuit, consists of Moeller's lifetime works in a selection of drawings, paintings, and sculptures on loan from her family and collectors. These works highlight her ability to capture life's beauty and her interests in the classical figurative tradition.
A graduate of Coffee High School, the late Moeller studied at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., after earning her bachelor's degree in art from UNA. She pursued further studies at UNA, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of Georgia, and in Italy, where she honed her bronze casting skills.
Demonstrating artistic talent from an early age, Moeller specialized in watercolor before shifting her focus to sculpture. When Adobe Photoshop became popular, Cathy chose to move away from realistic watercolor painting and began working in three dimensions. Her keen observation skills, evident in her early sketches, continue to guide her work in figurative sculpture.
“Throughout her life, Cathy continued to commission her art while taking graduate classes at UNA to study sculpture; she pursued summer residencies in Italy and joined the study-abroad trips led by other institutions,” said UNA Professor of Art and Gallery Director Chiong-Yiao Chen. “Cathy exemplified one of the most dynamic individuals in our community who balanced their role as homemaker and practicing artist. Since the exhibit opened, I have had the pleasure of seeing more works, across various themes and colors, shared by friends and family, including some drawings and paintings executed during her early teenage years that already display her creative aptitude.”
Among her publicly displayed works are the uniquely crafted bas-relief sculptures that adorn the pillars of the UNA Mitchell Buford Science building, a reminder of her artistic legacy at the University.
“This selection comes from the many wonderful pieces Cathy created for collectors, friends, and family,” said Professor Chen. “We are fortunate to showcase her work, which reflects a lifetime of dedication and artistry.”
Moeller was also a member of the Tennessee Valley Art Association and the Watercolor Society of Alabama and served many years as coordinator of the Helen Keller Festival Arts and Crafts Show. The Catherine Goode Moeller Permanent Endowment Scholarship, awarded each year to a UNA student pursuing a BFA in Art, was established by Dr. Michael B. Moeller, her husband and a retired UNA Professor of Chemistry.
A Life of Soulful Pursuit will be showcased at the UNA Art Gallery at 126, Tombigbee Street, in downtown Florence until February 27. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 2-5 p.m.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.