Gabriella Polony-Mountain is one of Kansas City’s most talented and diverse artists. Her bold, colorful body of work encompasses sculptures, mosaics, stained glass, repoussé, and weavings. Among her compositions was the mosaic floor of the old Main Library at 12th and McGee.

Christian Cutler, the director of the University of Central Missouri’s Gallery of Art and Design, tells the fascinating story of the 96-year-old Hungarian émigré who arrived in America in 1951 with her first husband, their luggage, and $120 and soon was winning awards for her architectural commissions. When a loss of strength in her hands made it difficult to work in other mediums, she turned to a loom and weaving. The presentation previews the early 2015 opening of an exhibit of Polony-Mountain’s work in the new Rocky and Gabriella Mountain Gallery in the Central Library.