SUNY New Paltz and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art are pleased to announce the appointment of Sophie Landres as the Museum’s new curator and exhibitions manager.
Landres is a curator, art historian, educator and arts writer who comes to New Paltz following recent roles as Director and Curator at River Valley Arts Collective in the Hudson Valley and as a Guest Curator at multiple art spaces in New York.
She holds a Ph.D. in art history and criticism from Stony Brook University, earned her MFA in Art Criticism and Writing from The School of Visual Arts, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Iowa.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sophie to The Dorsky team,” said Anna Conlan, the Neil C. Trager Director of The Dorsky Museum. “Her arrival marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Museum. With Sophie’s extensive background in collaborating with communities, students, and artists, coupled with her fresh outlook for the future of our exhibitions program, we anticipate an exciting journey ahead.”
Landres has held roles with numerous museums and arts organizations over the course of her career, often demonstrating her specialization in postwar intermedia and contemporary art.
Some recent curated exhibitions include “Spinning in Place” at 601 Artspace, featuring work by Shimon Attie, Jamal Cyrus, Kim Dacres, Craig Kalpakjian, Mernet Larsen, Jorge Macchi, Jonathan Monk, Bettina Pousttchi and Aura Satz; “XYZ: Alphabetical Ruptures and Reformations” at KinoSaito, featuring work by Tauba Auerbach, Dexter Sinister, Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds and Caroline Kent; “Kite: Oíhaŋbleta (In a Dream)” at River Valley Arts Collective, featuring textile-based work by the Oglála Lakȟóta artist Kite (Dr. Suzanne Kite); and the exhibitions “Forensic Architecture: True to Scale” and “Navild and Sosa: Black Power Naps/Siestas Negras” at the Museum of Art and Design in Miami, Florida.
“As the Dorsky Museum Curator, I hope to develop programming that supports creative risks, considers the future and the past from multiple vantage points, and stokes critical thinking on issues of both local and global concern,” Landres said. “I look forward to collaborating with Dorsky and SUNY colleagues to ensure that everyone who engages with our exhibitions, discursive events, and publications will have a meaningful experience that compels them to come back for more.”
She has previously held roles as Curator of Public Programs and Education at the Museum of Art and Design in Miami, Florida; Art in General in Brooklyn, New York; the online art market artnet; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and Naked Duck Gallery in Brooklyn.
Landres has taught courses on art writing and curatorial studies at Columbia University and the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, interdisciplinary seminars at The New School and New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and a variety of art history courses at Stony Brook University.
Her writing has appeared in many peer-reviewed journals, art critical publications and exhibition catalogues, including Art Comments, Art Journal, Hyperallergic, Degree Critical and The Brooklyn Rail.
About The Dorsky Museum
Through its collections, exhibitions and public programs, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz supports and enriches the academic programs at the University, presents a broad range of world art for study and enjoyment and serves as a center for Hudson Valley arts and culture. The Museum is widely recognized as the premier public showplace for exhibition, education and cultural scholarship about the Hudson Valley region’s art and artists from yesterday and today. 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 on Oct. 20, 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.
