The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz announces the opening of Undercurrents: The River as Metaphor, the 2017 edition of the museum’s annual Hudson Valley Artists series. A public opening reception will be held at the Dorsky on June 10, from 5-7 p.m., and the exhibition will run through July 30.
Hudson Valley Artists is a summer tradition at the museum, presenting new works by artists in diverse media from throughout the region. This year’s show is curated by Livia Straus, director and co-founder of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA) in Peekskill, N.Y.
Undercurrents: The River as Metaphor brings together works that address modernity by reflecting on the Hudson River: its history, its grandeur, and its singular ability to provide us with a roadmap for meeting the challenges we face in the course of everyday life.
Moving freely across disciplines and media, from drawings and paintings to photographs, video installations and sculptural installations, Undercurrents poses probing questions about our conceptions of and relationships with the river that defines our region: What are the perspectives of contemporary artists living along the Hudson River, and how are they reflected in their art? Can we look to the history of the Hudson Valley to anchor our moral sensibilities? How can the river and the artists it inspires guide us through the ongoing process of adjusting to new norms and realities?
Hand-cut Arches hot press on acid-free mat board.
12 x 32 in. Courtesy the artist.
This year, 41 artists were selected to showcase their work from more than 190 submissions:
Fern T. Apfel, Andrew Barthelmes, Arlene Becker, Don Bruschi, Peter Bynum, Laura Cannamela, Tobe Carey, Larry W. Chapman, Dick Crenson, Carlo D’Anselmi, Shelley Davis, William Durkin, Richard Edelman, Susan English, Kari Feuer, Jenny Lee Fowler, Matthew Friday, Steve Gentile, Mark Gibian, Carla Goldberg, Theresa Gooby, Sarah Heitmeyer, Keith Hoyt, Ellen Kozak, Minjin Kung, Polly M. Law, Harry Leigh, Iain Machell, Annie-hannah Mancini, Barbara Masterson, Mike McGregor, Antonella Piemontese, Camilo Rojas and Raquel Rabinovich, Margaret Saliske, Suzy Sureck, James A. Thomson, Susan Togut, Michael Washburn, Dan Wolf, Brian Wolfe, and Xuewu Zheng.
For the eighth consecutive year, one or more of these artists will see their work added to the Dorsky’s permanent collection through the Hudson Valley Artists’ Annual Purchase Award, which is made possible by the Alice and Horace Chandler Art Acquisition Fund.
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Livia Straus is the director and co-founder of the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA) in Peekskill, N.Y., a non-profit organization dedicated to developing exhibitions and interdisciplinary programs that enrich our understanding of contemporary art and its relationship to social issues.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Through its collections, exhibitions, and public programs, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, located at SUNY New Paltz, supports and enriches the academic programs at the college, presents a broad range of world art for study and enjoyment, and serves as a center for Hudson Valley arts and culture. The museum is gaining wide recognition as the premier public showplace for exhibition, education, and cultural scholarship about the Hudson Valley region’s art and artists from yesterday and today. With more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition space distributed over six galleries, The Dorsky Museum is one of the largest museums within the SUNY system. The Dorsky was officially dedicated on Oct. 20, 2001. Since then it has presented over one hundred exhibitions, including commissions, collection-based projects, and in-depth studies of contemporary artists including Robert Morris, Alice Neel, Judy Pfaff, Carolee Schneemann, and Ushio Shinohara, historic Woodstock artists Eugene Speicher and Charles Rosen, and Hudson Valley luminaries Russel Wright and Dick Polich.
Museum Hours:
Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Holidays, and Intersessions.
For more information, visit The Dorsky Museum online or call (845) 257-3844.
