Dorsky Museum presents “Fields of Vision: Work by SUNY New Paltz Art Faculty”

NEW PALTZ – The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art is pleased to present “Fields of Vision: Work by SUNY New Paltz Art Faculty,” an exhibition and accompanying catalog that feature work by 28 faculty members of the State University of New York at New Paltz Art Department. The exhibition offers a far-reaching survey of the latest trends in art and design, from painting and sculpture, photography, printmaking, and metals. “Fields of Vision” will be on view April 13 – June 23, 2013, in The Dorsky Museum’s Morgan Anderson, Howard Greenberg Family, and Corridor galleries. The public opening reception will be held on Friday, April 12, from 5 – 7 p.m.

The participating artists teach courses in printmaking, photography, painting and drawing, sculpture, graphic design, ceramics, metals, and art education, and basic foundation courses at New Paltz. They are also professional artists and designers who exhibit their work in major museums and galleries throughout the world. Born in Europe, South America, the Middle East, and across the United States, these professionals collectively bring a wealth of experience and perspectives to the college.

“The mission of the university is not only to teach but also to create ‘new knowledge.’ It is entirely fitting that new knowledge in the forms of creative production and art-based research by the faculty should be shared publicly and prominently,” said Mary Hafeli, dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at SUNY New Paltz. The exhibition was organized by guest curator Carl Van Brunt, an artist and gallery director of the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum. Anne Galperin, chair of the Art Department at SUNY New Paltz, designed the fully illustrated, 96-page catalog.

Exhibition highlights include a live performance by Thomas Albrecht and an immersive sound and ceramic installation by Emily Puthoff. Matthew Friday presents a full-scale mobile research laboratory used to make pigments from environmental waste. Amy Papaelias’ interactive software exploring the connection between emotion and typography can be accessed online as well as in the museum. Exquisite metal sculpture and jewelry by Myra Mimlitsch-Gray and Jamie Bennett demonstrate how SUNY New Paltz has one of the top metals programs in the world.

Many of the artists blur disciplinary boundaries. Works by Rimer Cardillo, Suzanne Stokes, François Deschamps, James Fossett, Carmen Lizardo, Ann Lovett, Itty S. Neuhaus, and Alice Wexler mine the fertile intersection of photography and printmaking. Similar material inventiveness can be found in sculpture and mixed-media installations by Steven P. Bradford, Bryan Czibesz, Andrea Frank, Kathy Goodell, Jill Parisi, Rena Leinberger, Jessica Poser, and Jennifer Woodin, which force us to consider how we relate to everyday objects and experiences. Innovative work by Amy Cheng, Thomas Sarrantonio, Robin Arnold, and Cheryl Wheat explores the expressive potential of contemporary painting and drawing. Rounding out the exhibition are refined ceramics by Anat Shiftan and thought-provoking typography by Aleanna Luethi-Garrecht.

“Fields of Vision” coincides with the spring presentation of work by art majors receiving their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts at SUNY New Paltz. The presentation invites viewers to consider the relationship between the work of faculty and that of their students.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, located on the campus of SUNY New Paltz, is recognized as the premier public showplace for exhibition, education, and cultural scholarship about the Hudson Valley region’s art and artists from yesterday and today. The Dorsky Museum is one of the largest museums within the SUNY system, with more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition space distributed across six galleries. The Dorsky has presented more than one hundred exhibitions, including commissions, collection-based projects, and in-depth studies of artists including Robert Morris, Alice Neel, Judy Pfaff, and Carolee Schneemann.

For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, call 845-257-3844 or visit: http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum