College mourns the death of Manuel Bromberg, professor emeritus and artist behind the “Cliffside” sculpture on Humanities

It is with sadness that the College shares news of the death of Manuel “Manny” Bromberg, professor emeritus of art, on Feb. 3, 2022. He was 104.

Bromberg is among the most acclaimed artists to have taught at SUNY New Paltz. He served as a professor of painting and design from 1957 – 1979 and is the artist behind one of the most iconic permanent installations on campus: the “Cliffside” sculpture mounted on the outer wall of the Humanities building.

“Cliffside” was originally dedicated in 1970 as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been assassinated just a couple years prior.

“That was a time of a great social unrest that was felt on this campus as it was on many college campuses,” Bromberg said at a 2016 rededication ceremony on campus. “I had great respect for King and was deeply saddened by his death, so once again I approached President [John] Neumaier, to request that the cliff be dedicated to King.”

Mounted next to the sculpture is “Cliffside” a plaque with a well-known excerpt from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “We will hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

The story of the sculpture’s creation and installation is recounted in detail in “Manny Bromberg won’t give an inch,” a 2016 feature from Hudson Valley One that includes may other stories from his decades-long career as an artist.

In addition to his contributions at SUNY New Paltz, Bromberg served as a WWII war artist and was awarded the Legion of Merit in 1944. Prior to coming to New Paltz, he taught at Salem College, North Carolina State University College of Design, where he collaborated with Buckminster Fuller, among others.