The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz is proud to present “Notes for Tomorrow,” an exhibition conceived by Independent Curators International (ICI) featuring artworks selected by 31 curators based in 25 countries around the world to reflect on a new global reality ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Notes for Tomorrow” will be on view at The Dorsky Museum from June 17 – Nov. 12, 2023.
About the Exhibition
Coming out of a moment where collective crisis had to be managed through collective care, “Notes for Tomorrow” understands that no singular voice can guide us forward. Instead, it presents a network of overlapping solutions. The works on view are connected across geographies by a shared interest in decolonization. In many works, nature is a recurring focus; at the same time, there are projects that imagine digital space as a point for connection to one another, and even to the sacred. A number of artists stress the importance of sustaining cultural memory and sharing knowledge, while also maintaining a critical gaze toward the monument and the museum. Above all, the works in “Notes for Tomorrow” call for change.
“Notes for Tomorrow” was curated from selections by alumni of ICI’s Curatorial Intensive, a professional development program founded in 2010 on principles of international exchange, inclusivity, and knowledge-sharing. With the ever-present backdrop of a global pandemic, ICI turned to these curators to question and reassess values and relevance in contemporary culture and asked each of them to share an artwork they believe is vital to be seen today.
For the presentation of “Notes for Tomorrow” at The Dorsky Museum, two Hudson Valley-based artists, Mollie McKinley and Zachary Skinner, have been added to the exhibition. Mollie McKinley’s photographic soft sculptures depict elements such as dripping water and eroding earth to reference the transformative process of healing. Zachary Skinner’s survivalist sculptures playfully confront serious ecological issues while also serving as a meditation on the fragile relationship between humanity and nature.
Artists included in the exhibition: Madiha Aijaz, Ernesto Bautista, Maeve Brennan, Vajiko Chachkhiani, Luke Luokun Cheng, Nothando Chiwanga, Shezad Dawood, Demian DinéYazhi’, Cao Guimarães, Ilana Harris-Babou, Rei Hayama, Amrita Hepi, INVASORIX, Tamás Kaszás, Ali Kazma, A Liberated Library for Education, Inspiration, and Action (Chicago ACT Collective, Interrupting Criminalization, Undocumented Projects), David Lozano, Mona Marzouk, Mollie McKinley, Joiri Minaya, Peter Morin, Omehen, Daniela Ortiz, Kristina Kay Robinson, Luiz Roque, Mark Salvatus, Yan Shi, Zachary Skinner, Ibrahima Thiam, u/n multitude, and Wayne Kaumualii Westlake.
Contributing Curators: Charles Campbell, Freya Chou, Giulia Colletti, Veronica Cordeiro, Allison Glenn, Tessa Maria Guazon, PJ Gubatina Policarpio, Ivan Isaev, Ross Jordan, Drew Kahuʻāina Broderick and Josh Tengan, Esteban King Álvarez, João Laia, Luis Carlos Manjarrés Martínez, Fadzai Veronica Muchemwa, Lydia Y. Nichols, Marie Hélène Pereira, Balimunsi Philip, Josseline Pinto, Florencia Portocarrero, Shahana Rajani, Rachel Reese, Marina Reyes Franco, Mari Spirito, Alexandra Stock, Eszter Szakács, Abhijan Toto, Fatoş Üstek, Su Wei, and Sharmila Wood.
The traveling exhibition was organized and produced by ICI and initiated by Frances Wu Giarratano, Jordan Jones, Becky Nahom, Renaud Proch, and Monica Terrero. The exhibition was made possible with the generous support of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, VIA Art Fund, and ICI’s Board of Trustees and International Forum.
The presentation at The Dorsky Museum has been organized in collaboration with Karlyn Benson, interim curator and exhibitions manager.
About Independent Curators International
Independent Curators International (ICI) supports the work of curators to help create stronger art communities through experimentation, collaboration, and international engagement. Curators are arts community leaders and organizers who champion artistic practice, build essential infrastructures and institutions, and generate public engagement with art. Our collaborative programs connect curators across generations and across social political and cultural borders. They form an international framework for sharing knowledge and resources–promoting cultural exchange, access to art and public awareness of the curator’s role.
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.
Funding for The Dorsky’s exhibitions and programs is provided by the Friends of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art and SUNY New Paltz.
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 www.newpaltz.edu/museum or call (845) 257-3844.
