“Broken Monarchs,” an installation that began as her capstone thesis and was first exhibited in the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, has now earned Marielena Ferrer ‘22 ‘24g (Sculpture) the prestigious 2023 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center.
Ferrer’s “Broken Monarchs” was selected from a pool of more than 640 sculptural works from colleges and universities worldwide. The piece earned a spot in October’s International Sculpture Center 2023 Conference awards exhibition and will appear in the January/February 2024 issue of the Center’s Sculpture Magazine.
“This award reminds me that this is what I should be doing,” she said. “It is truly an honor to be selected among a talented group of students worldwide.”
It was the Kingston, New York artist’s passion for social issues that inspired her to become a sculptor, which in turn led her to New Paltz’s Bachelor of Fine Arts and nationally ranked Master of Fine Arts programs.
“To me, art is something that magnifies a social cause,” she said. “What pushed me to pursue a career in the arts is the feeling that I could make an impact through what I create.”
“Broken Monarchs” reflects both her background as an immigrant from Spain and Venezuela, and her response to recent U.S child separation immigration policies. The collection of butterfly wings represents the more 5,000 children impacted by this policy.
“The biggest thing I learned here is that there is no art without research,” she said. “You must learn the history of what you’re creating, and the science behind what goes together. This is something I want to pass on to future artists in my career.”
While “Broken Monarchs” started out with a poignant concept, it came together through creative input from Department of Art faculty including Associate Professor Emily Puthoff and Assistant Professor Michael Asbill, who together nominated the sculptural work for the International Sculpture Center award.
“What’s unique about New Paltz is the feeling of collaboration and communication with peers and faculty,” Ferrer said. “You never feel like you’re alone because you’re always receiving feedback from fellow artists.”
As she works to complete her MFA, Ferrer is also paying it back as the Samuel Dorsky Museum’s of Art’s Lattin-Mintz Education and Outreach Assistant.
“It is my goal in this role to not only give back as a student but help make The Dorsky more visible in the Hudson Valley area,” she said. “Building a network of artists in the community is what The Dorsky is all about.”
You can find more of Ferrer’s work on her website and on Instagram @marielena.ferrer
Click here to learn more about the Master of Fine Arts program at SUNY New Paltz.
