Art show at President’s Residence celebrates students’ creativity

President Donald P. and Sandy Christian welcomed students, faculty and other guests to their home on April 16 for an exhibition of student artwork that has been on display in the President’s Residence throughout the 2018-19 academic year.

The exhibition is part of a years-long tradition, begun through collaboration between Sandy Christian and the Department of Art (then chaired by Associate Professor Anne Galperin), to use the President’s Residence as a venue for showcasing student creativity for the many guests the Christians host each year.

Pieces are selected in much the same way they would be for any other juried exhibition: a call goes out to students, who submit works for consideration in consultation with faculty advisors. Typically 15-20 students are chosen each year, and their work is mounted in the fall and celebrated with a spring exhibition.

Each collection to date has featured a broad sampling of work from students at different levels of education, from first-year Foundations classes to graduating seniors, and from the Department’s full suite of BS, BA and BFA programs in Visual Art, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Metal, Painting & Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Art Education.

“The art exhibition at the President’s Residence is truly representative of the exceptional creative work that takes place in our programs,” said Beth Thomas, chair of the Art Department.

“I was particularly pleased this year to see so many Art Education students selected. The Art Education program produces exceptional art educators in part because they are committed to developing as artists, just as they are committed to developing as teachers, and their interest in participating in exhibitions like this is evidence of that dedication.”

The following students contributed creative works for display and exhibition at the President’s Residence this year:

Drew Banschback ’19 (Art Education)

Gillian Harrington ’21 (Biology)

Alison Paton ’19 (Art Education)

Lisa Sacco ’19 (Art Education)

Zoey Calison ’21 (Photography), who was joined by her mother, Jennifer Calison ’00 (Photography; Art History) ’05, ’11g (Art Education), an art teacher in the Wallkill Central School District.

Joseph Kattou ’19 (Sculpture)

Maxine Leu ’19 (Sculpture)

Miranda Kent ’19 (Art Education)

Erika Port ’20 (Art Education)

Li Lin-Liang ‘19g (Studio Art)

Malka Lohmann Miller ’21 (Art Education)

Claudia Rosti ’19 (Painting)

The 2018-19 call and exhibition were organized with support from Assistant Professors Michael Gayk and Andrea Kantrowitz. Art Technician Tom Blake provides support transporting and mounting the works for display.

Visit the Department of Art online for more information about visual art and art education programs at SUNY New Paltz.