Dorsky Museum announces Hudson Valley Artists 2020 Purchase Award

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz is acquiring three new artworks by regional artists for its permanent collection: “Choker” by Donise English, “Waste Not 6” by Kathy Greenwood, and “Untitled” by Annie Raife.

These outstanding examples of contemporary weaving, textile braiding and rug tufting (respectively) will together form the core of what is hoped will be a growing focus on fiber art in the Museum’s permanent collection.

English, Greenwood and Raife are three of 29 Hudson Valley artists currently exhibiting at The Dorsky Museum as part of “New Folk,” the 2020 installment of the annual Hudson Valley Artists series.

The exhibition, a vibrant exploration of craft, cultural heritage and the communities we create together,  is curated by Anna Conlan and on view at The Dorsky through Oct. 25, 2020.

The acquisitions are made possible through The Dorsky’s Hudson Valley Artists Annual Purchase Award, which enables the Museum to acquire exceptional work by Hudson Valley artists and enrich its holdings in contemporary art from the region each year. The Purchase Award is supported by the Alice and Horace Chandler Art Acquisition Fund.

Donise English ’77 (Art History) is a SUNY New Paltz alumna who works in both painting and sculpture and has had more than 80 exhibitions at institutions and galleries throughout the U.S. She has received numerous awards, including a 2018 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting.

English is currently professor of studio art at Marist College, and also serves as coordinator of the Interior Design Program at Marist’s branch campus, Instituto Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy. She received her MFA in painting from Bard College.

Kathy Greenwood earned a BS in Studio art from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, and an MFA in textiles from the University of Michigan. Her paintings and sculptures are based in the structure and character of domestic textiles and the associations they invoke.

Her work has been exhibited at venues including Porter Contemporary, the John F. Peto Studio Museum, Chesterwood: A National Historic Trust Site, The University Art Museum/University at Albany, The Hyde Collection Art Museum, The Albany Institute of History and Art, Miami International Airport and the Porter-Phelps Huntington House Museum. She resides in upstate New York.

Annie Raife is an artist and designer living and working in Mountain Dale, New York. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she received a BA from Smith College in 2011. She works primarily with fibers, using traditional techniques and familiar materials to create aesthetically-focused objects that are colorful, textural and playful. Her more recent work is composed of individual tufted objects that are improvisationally collaged together to create three-dimensional soft wall sculptures.

Next year’s Hudson Valley Artists call will be available on the Museum’s web site in early 2021. Artists who wish to receive notification of the artist’s call can subscribe to the Museum’s email list at http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum.

Previous Hudson Valley Artist Purchase Award recipients include Libby Paloma, Jean-Marc Superville Sovak, Richard Edelman, Deb Lucke, Nestor Madalengoita, Holly Hughes, Stephen Niccolls, Patrick Kelley, Adie Russell, Gilbert Plantinga, Thomas Sarrantonio, François Deschamps, Curt Belshe and Lise Prown, Charles Geiger, Barbara Leon, Elisa Pritzker, Amy Talluto and Mollie McKinley.

About The Dorsky Museum
Through its collections, exhibitions and public programs, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art supports and enriches the academic programs at the College and serves as a center for Hudson Valley arts and culture. With more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition space distributed over six galleries, The Dorsky Museum is one of the largest museums in the SUNY system. Since its official dedication in 2001, The Dorsky has presented more than 100 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.

Museum Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, holidays and intersessions.

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