Dorsky Museum will host Spring Season Opening Party on Feb. 8
The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz invites one and all to a celebration of the visual arts on Saturday, Feb.8, from 4-6 p.m.
The Spring Season Opening Party will feature refreshments, music and ample opportunity for hands-on making. The event centers four exciting exhibitions, as artists and curators gather with the community to enjoy one of the leading cultural resources in the Hudson Valley.
The Opening Party is free to attend and all are welcome. Read on for more information about the exhibitions on view.
“Landmines”
On display from Feb. 8 – July 13, 2025
“Landmines” presents camera-based work by artists who explore the role landscape plays in burying or exhuming social history. It coincides with the bicentennial of Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole’s first trip up the Hudson River, which is often recounted as the origin of an art movement lauded for pastorals that were inflected with Protestant ideals. A confluence of events in 1825 – the production of the earliest existing landscape photographs as well as the forcible relocation of huge numbers of Native people of New York to Wisconsin – compel us to think critically about the relationship between land, representation, and history. Through photographs and video that shed light on sites of exploitation, “Landmines” commemorates this laden anniversary by offering contemporary perspectives on what landscapes recall about ourselves. Serving as a prologue and postscript to the exhibition, Cole’s 1828 sketchbook and an installation about the tension between contemporary Native cultures and historiography by Erin Lee Antonak will also be on view.
“Hudson Valley Artists 2025: Movement”
On display from Feb. 8 – April 6, 2025
Guest curated by artist ransome, “Hudson Valley Artists 2025: Movement” marks the 18th annual exhibition of contemporary work by regional artists at The Dorsky Museum. This year’s theme, “Movement,” prompts viewers to consider the profound impact of physical journeys, both personal and collective. Reflecting on what compels people to leave their homes, the exhibition examines migration as a transformative force that shapes communities, melds cultures, and redefines societal landscapes. Through various mediums, including painting, sculpture, video and mixed media, selected artists explore themes of resilience, change and the legacies of movement that resonate across generations.
“A Living Collection”
Ongoing
“A Living Collection” presents The Dorsky’s permanent collection through multiple lenses, with thematic pathways that foster new connections across time, style, and subject. This evolving exhibit highlights historically marginalized voices and prompts viewers to trace artistic expressions of identity, ecology, activism, and the beauty of the everyday. With works by celebrated artists such as Milton Avery, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Salvador Dalí, Leon Golub, Utagawa Hiroshige, Käthe Kollwitz, Ellsworth Kelly, Lewis Hine, Joan Myers, Glenn Ligon, and Andy Warhol, “A Living Collection” invites visitors to reflect on the ways that art deepens our understanding of the human experience.
“Space to Create”
Ongoing
Creating art is different for each of us. It can be a powerful outlet for self-expression, a form of connection with others, a way to reflect on important issues, or a welcome relief from daily stresses. We invite you to follow art-making prompts related to objects in The Dorsky collection or follow your own creative path by experimenting with the materials provided. Share your creation on the display board, take it home with you to treasure, or gift it to a loved one.
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.