ENCAUSTIC WORKS 2005

NEW PALTZ — What do contemporary Hudson Valley artists have in common with the Greeks and Romans? – The unusual medium of encaustic. “Encaustic Works 2005”, an exhibition opening at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at the State University of New York at New Paltz on September 17, 2005, highlights the work of 24 regional artists who use encaustic, a wax-based medium that dates back to classical Greece and Rome. The exhibition will be on view through December 11, 2005.

Perhaps the best known application of encaustic painting dates back to the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt in their creation of funeral portraits. Other practices include scenes from mythology, coloring of marble and terra cotta and general portraiture. Interest in this extraordinary medium was rekindled in the mid 20th-century as modern artists such as Jasper Johns reestablished the unique, practical and aesthetic advantages of working with pigments and other materials embedded in melted wax.

Encaustic Works 2005 showcases a range of innovative contemporary approaches to the medium in the production of paintings, sculptures, and photo-based work. Inspired by the biennial series initiated eight years ago by R&F Handmade Paints of Kingston, New York, the exhibition celebrates the company’s ongoing leadership in revitalizing and advancing the medium, through their exhibitions and workshop programs.

Artists in the exhibition include: Nancy Azara, Pamela Blum, Danielle B. Correia, Jeri Eisenberg, Dan Feldman, Lorrie Fredette, Gail Gregg, Valerie Hammond, Jan Harrison, James Haskin, Judy Hoyt, Heather Hutchinson, Megan Irving, Martin Kline, Allyson Levy, James Meyer, Wayne Montecalvo, Laura Moriarty, Denise Orzo, Fawn Potash, Tracina Priest, Donna Sharrett, Cynthia Winika, and Rebecca Zilinski.

A reception for the artists will be held on September 17, from 2-4 p.m.

Image credts:
Denise Orzo
Tomfoolery, 2004
encaustic on birch panel
23 X 23 in.

About the Museum
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art is dedicated to collecting, researching, interpreting, and exhibiting works of art from diverse cultures. The permanent collection spans a period of almost 4,000 years. Areas of specialization include 20th century paintings and works on paper, Asian and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts, metals and photographs. SDMA has a special commitment to collecting and exhibiting important works of art created by artists who have lived and worked in the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions. The Museum is a major cultural resource in the Hudson Valley serving a broad-based constituency from both on and beyond the New Paltz campus.

Hours and other information
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, university intersession, and national holidays. SDMA accommodates the disabled. Admission is free

For further museum information call 845-257-3844 or visit the web at www.newpaltz.edu/museum

The State University of New York at New Paltz is a highly selective college of 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students located in the Mid-Hudson Valley between New York City and Albany. New Paltz is ranked 5th among the best public universities and 42nd among public and private universities in the North that offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings for America’s Best Colleges 2006.

Degrees are offered in the liberal arts and sciences, which serve as a core for professional programs in the fine and performing arts, education, healthcare, business and engineering.