When COVID-19 shut the world down, Division I athlete Travis Turney returned to a familiar refuge: painting. Then a business student at the University of Portland, he began creating new works in March, and within five months, was featured on his hometown news station, KSEE 24.

Five years later, Turney will present his first solo exhibition, Before the Frame, opening November 20th in River Park. The show reflects on time, what existed before recognition, refinement, and the pressure to produce. It marks a return to his roots and a literal homecoming for the now Los Angeles–based artist, revisiting the raw creativity that existed long before the lens or the edit.

At its core, Before the Frame explores identity: who Turney was before titles like athlete, videographer, or social media manager, and how each layer of his journey continues to shape the artist he’s becoming.

Alongside painting, Turney brings a multidisciplinary approach informed by his experience in photography, videography, and art direction, skills refined through a Master’s in Advertising from the Academy of Art University and a B.A. in Marketing with a minor in Fine Art from the University of Portland. Now the lead content creator at Pepperdine University, he uses these creative lenses to tell the stories behind his paintings, bridging the space between imagination and expression.