The Gallery at Penn College opens the new year with an ingenious exhibit of kinetic sculptures and automata.

“Found: The Sculpture of Randall Cleaver” runs Jan. 16 through Feb. 29, with a reception and gallery talk set for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public.

Growing up in Reading, the son of a pack rat, Cleaver saw early on the magic in discarded items, as his father hauled home objects from auctions, flea markets and junk piles. Cleaver made toys or adapted existing toys with these materials, then earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from Penn State in 1981. As a student, it was natural to scour salvage yards and rubbish piles for art supplies instead of buying new ones. This attitude of reusing and adapting existing parts still plays a significant role in his work.