The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz is pleased to share details about the exciting new exhibitions that will open in early spring 2024:
Global Connections: Works by Miguel Covarrubias, Isami Doi, Aaron Douglas, and Winold Reiss: By comparing the styles and biographies of four artists who crossed paths in New York during the 1920s, “Global Connections” traces the complicated channels of influence and inspiration within the often-overlooked multiculturalism of American art before the Second World War. Curated by Tom Wolf. On display Feb. 3 – July 21, 2024
Hudson Valley Artists 2024: Bibliography: Curated by Sophie Landres, this iteration of The Dorsky’s annual exhibition of contemporary work by regional artists positions books as the connective tissue unifying a variegated selection of riveting artwork. By situating painting, prints, video, sculpture, installation, sound, and mixed-media within a broader body of knowledge, the books provide entry points for thinking about the aesthetic, social, or political implications of work being made here and now. On display Feb. 3 – April 14, 2024
A Living Collection: The Museum’s newest display of works from the collection foregrounds traditionally marginalized artists to show the depth and complexity of world-wide art practices throughout history. Ongoing
R & R: A Space to Create: This space for rest and relaxation provides prompts for visitors to creatively respond to the objects on view in our collection and to have fun experimenting with art-making materials. Ongoing
Together, these exhibitions promise visitors unparalleled exposure to historical undercurrents and contemporary trends in regional and national art.
“Global Connections: Works by Miguel Covarrubias, Isami Doi, Aaron Douglas, and Winold Reiss”
“Global Connections,” curated by Tom Wolf, shines a light on four artists who crossed paths in New York during the 1920s, a moment when the city was rapidly becoming a cultural hub that attracted artists from distant states and far-flung countries. Isami Doi moved to New York from Hawaii, Aaron Douglas from Kansas, Miguel Covarrubias from Mexico City, Mexico, and Winold Reiss from Karlsruhe, Germany.
All of these artists were influenced by traveling to other continents and being exposed to cultural differences. They also shared a keen interest in Modernist techniques that introduced new ways of seeing the world, yet their aesthetic styles differed considerably: Covarrubias was primarily a caricaturist of people observed in his travels; Doi made paintings and wood engravings about personal experiences and mythology; Douglas shaped the Harlem Renaissance through socially-conscious African-centric imagery; Reiss incorporated elements of graphic design into realistic portrayals of people whose ethnic identities fascinated him.
Through a selection of paintings, drawings, and prints, the exhibition examines the similar tendencies and unique characteristics of these four remarkable artists. In doing so, it seeks to trace the complicated channels of influence and inspiration within the often-overlooked multiculturalism of American art before the Second World War.
“Hudson Valley Artists 2024: Bibliography”
Curated by The Dorsky Museum Curator Sophie Landres, “Hudson Valley Artists 2024: Bibliography” is the Museum’s 17th annual exhibition of contemporary work by regional artists. This year’s iteration unifies and contextualizes a variegated selection of painting, prints, video, sculpture, installation, sound, and mixed media by including books selected by each of the 14 participating artists. Beyond revealing illuminating dimensions of the artists’ thinking processes, the inclusion of books–as both reference material and material objects–demonstrates how ideas circulate across disciplines and mediums, and how ideas are continuously shared, reinterpreted, extended, and conditioned by the ways in which they are encountered. The pairings prompt consideration of topics such as the relationship between knowledge and ideology in the digital age, ruptured and reconstructed subjectivities, mnemonic devices, future generations, tactics for exposing oppressive narratives, and the visualization of non-visual sensation.
Exhibiting artists include Osi Audu, Alta Buden, Shari Diamond, Kerry Downey, Stevenson Estime, eteam (Franzisa Lamprecht and Hajoe Moderegger), Aki Goto, Adam Henry, Matthew Kirk, Niki Kriese, Melora Kuhn, Catherine Lord, Sean Sullivan and Audra Wolowiec.
“A Living Collection”
This new display of the Museum’s Permanent Collection tells the story of The Dorsky from a variety of perspectives, making space for traditionally marginalized voices. Exhibiting collection highlights and audience favorites alongside new acquisitions and commissions, “A Living Collection” presents the collection as a living entity, continuously evolving and shaped by the viewer’s interpretation.
Drawing connections between artworks and considering how their meanings continuously evolve with the viewer’s response, a series of thematic pathways are presented linking works across time period, medium and style. Along these pathways we invite you to find your own way and make connections from our contemporary moment into the past, from your life to the artists’ creations, enjoying the universal and timeless potential of art.
“R & R: A Space to Create”
The Dorsky invites you to participate in a little bit of R&R.
The abbreviation R&R originated in the military to describe a period of time when soldiers were released from their duties for rest and recuperation. Making art can be a form of release, a time of reflection, a relief from the stresses of the day, and an opportunity to recuperate, among many other things.
We welcome you to join us in the Museum and follow art-making prompts that engage with objects on view in our collection, or use provided materials to find your own creative path. Share your creation on the display board, take it home with you to treasure, or gift it to a loved one. However you interact, we hope that you’ll release yourself and, most importantly, have fun.
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.
