Ceramics students take on history of Huguenot Street for Nov. 20 exhibition

Students in the SUNY New Paltz Ceramics Program will partner with Historic Huguenot Street for its “Insight on Site” exhibition on Nov. 20, 2021.

The exhibition, which will be on display from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the historic New Paltz district, will showcase students’ renderings of artifacts inspired by the village’s complex history. They will be displayed throughout the 10-acre National Historic Landmark District, with select pieces available to view in the replica Esopus Munsee wigwam, Deyo House, Jean Hasbrouck House, and the reconstructed 1717 Crispell Memorial French Church.

Ceramics students in BFA and MFA programs have been working for weeks with Associate Professor Bryan Czibesz and Associate Professor Anat Shiftan to prepare pieces for this collaborative event, filtering the history of the region through their own creative processes.

“I think this is a really interesting and kind of exceptional opportunity that I’ve never had, especially since it’s a historical museum,” said Althea Llewelyn ’23 (Ceramics), who worked on a rendition of a traditional spinning wheel for the collection. “It’s interesting that we’re putting our artwork in there as well, because you can see interpretations of history as well as actual history.”

 

Many artists took advantage of the opportunity to engage with the early history of enslavement in this region of New York State. Cynthia Walker ’22 (Ceramics) crafted a rabbit sculpture that speaks to the trauma of slavery, and Gweneth Medea ’23 (Ceramics) worked on a mosaic that addresses the tangled relationships among Native American residents, French settlers, and Africans who were forcibly brought to the region as enslaved people.

Insight on Site” is open to the public from 2 – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20. Pre-registration is required (and free for New Paltz students!). All registrants must check-in at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center (81 Huguenot Street) upon their arrival, where they will receive a wristband.

HHS does not require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend “Insight On Site,” but attendees are asked to wear masks both indoors and outdoors.

 

For more information on the exhibition, visit https://www.huguenotstreet.org/calendar-of-events/insight-onsite. That link includes the full list of contributing student artists from SUNY New Paltz.