Masters of Fine Arts candidates Matt LaFleur, Darian Longmire, and Vanessa Mastronardi
Collaborations are at the heart of all that we do at the University Art Museum. From working with leading artists, to researching and developing new projects, to partnering with faculty on an exhibition-based curriculum, to mentoring interns and work study students, we are passionate about bringing people together and sharing the transformative power of contemporary art. As a university-wide resource the Museum links campus, community, and contemporary artists. We encourage our visitors to actively engage with the Museum's exhibitions and collections-making connections between individual life experiences and the art and artists on view.
2018 proved a productive year for forging new collaborations while sustaining existing relationships. This year we extended our partnerships to include seven academic art museums: the Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University, the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College, the Neuberger Museum of Art at SUNY Purchase, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz, and the Hessel Museum of Art at Bard College. These partnerships resulted in two exhibition projects: This Place, a multi-year project that invited a group of twelve international artists to explore Israel and the West Bank; and Warhol x 5, a collaborative exhibition series in which five Hudson Valley academic art museums presented the work of Andy Warhol. The presentation of This Place is part of a three-year project entitled "Teaching and Learning with Museum Exhibitions: An Inter-Institutional Approach" supported by the Teagle Foundation, in which faculty and students engage cross-institutionally with the exhibition over several semesters. The project will culminate in a national public symposium in 2019.
Drawn from a wide range of artistic and curatorial perspectives, this year's exhibitions and programs including The Creative Life series, spanned generations, backgrounds, geographies, and life experiences−and brought our multiple audiences together. This year marked the third year of The Creative Life series, a joint initiative with the New York State Writers Institute and UAlbany Performing Arts Center in conjunction with regional public radio station WAMC that brings leading figures from writing, music, dance, choreography, visual arts, architecture, theatre, and filmmaking to the University for candid conversations about what it means to sustain a creative practice over time.
We are particularly pleased to report on the realization of our new Collections Study Space. Supported by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation American Arts Program, this multi-purpose space safely houses the University Fine Art Collections, while providing an accessible environment in which students can develop a deeper understanding of creative expression through firsthand encounters with works of art. Our inaugural exhibition in the Collections Study Space features a project by the renowned artist Tim Rollins, who through his more than three decades working with the collective K.O.S. (Kids of Survival), developed a unique model for art as collaboration, activism, and pedagogy in which he created conceptual paintings that derived meaning through the combination of a visual lexicon of bold marks and a gridded backdrop of text pages from literary classics.
In 1998, Tim Rollins came to the University Art Museum and worked with students from four regional middle and high schools to create an artwork based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Over the course of three days, Rollins and his students created twenty-four individual watercolor flowers collaged onto book pages−all of which are on view in the Collections Study Space. Through his legendary pedagogical approach, Rollins in his own words challenged "elite notions of fine art that put boundaries on who can appreciate art, who can make art, and who can feel the impact of that art." We are proud to echo Rollins's collaborative spirit, his commitment to access, and his passionate pursuit of excellence and transformation through art and art history in the Museum's new Collections Study Space.
Please join us often in 2019! We promise a full year of eclectic, nimble programming and far-reaching collaborations that reflect the unmistakable personality of the University Art Museum as we continue to serve our students and to build upon the visitor experience to make our exhibitions and collections relevant to as many communities as possible.
Museum Part-time Staff:
Berly Brown, curatorial assistant
Olga Dekalo, associate curator
Naomi Lewis, exhibition and outreach coordinator
Christine Snyder, museum assistant
Registrar Darcie Abbatiello leading a tour of the Collections Study Space
As part of a comprehensive public research institution, the University Art Museum is committed to providing spaces for creative, rigorous, interdisciplinary inquiry that can actively transform higher education. In 2018, the the Museum received a major grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to create the Collections Study Space, a multipurpose space designed to safely house the University at Albany Fine Art Collections and simultaneously make them accessible to students, faculty, other researchers and scholars, and the community. The Collections comprise more than 3,000 objects and reflect 50 years of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, and sculpture by many of the most prominent artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Collections Study Space serves as a viewing and study gallery for fine art in a classroom context and offers a range of behind-the-scenes experiences based in current museum best practices and fosters an environment in which contemporary art is experienced through multiple perspectives.
The Study Space also serves as a site for discussions, talks, small panels, readings, and informal conversations related to the artists and artworks in the Collections. Future plans include inviting artists, curators, writers, and scholars to develop innovative programs and original research linking the Museum's exhibition program and the Collections.
To view selected holdings from the Collections, schedule guided tours, conduct research, or reserve classroom time please email Darcie Abbatiello, museum registrar: dabbatiello@albany.edu. Supported by the Henry Luce Foundation American Arts Program. Stay tuned for updates throughout 2019.
Supported by The Bernard D. Arbit Fund and University Auxiliary Services (UAS).
Supported by University Auxiliary Services (UAS).
Supported by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ann C. Mataraso MFA '02 Endowment Fund in honor of Professor Emeritus Mark Greenwold.
Supported by the University Art Museum Endowed Director's Fund and University Auxiliary Services.
Supported by University Auxiliary Services (UAS).
Supported by University Auxiliary Services (UAS).
Installation view of This Place, 2018
Hank Willis Thomas
Black Righteous Space, 2012
Interactive video installation, DVD (playlist and video installation), Mac mini, and microphone
60 minutes
Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Andy Warhol
Unidentified Boy (Wavy Blond Hair), 1981
Polacolor 2 on paper
4 1/4 x 3 3/8 inches
University at Albany Foundation Collection
Gift of © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc
Alex Bradley Cohen
Chanel Thomas, 2018
Acrylic on canvas
48 x 44 inches
Image courtesy of Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
This Place programming included Games Bringing People Together; a roundtable Photography is Dead. Long Live Photography!; an open-mic storytelling event My Place: Storytelling, and a student-focused gathering Art + Food + Dialogue.
Art Lab is a series of hands-on, interactive art projects led by teaching artist Christine Snyder (MFA '16) and inspired by artists in the spring and fall exhibitions. An ongoing series, Art Lab is free and appropriate for all ages.
The Creative Life Conversation Series is a collaboration with New York State Writers Institute, UAlbany Performing Arts Center, University Art Museum, and WAMC public radio station. It brings leading figures in the arts to campus for a conversation with WAMC's Joe Donahue about their creative practice. This year's series included author Lois Lowry, Lion King choreographer Garth Fagan, Broadway star Patti LuPone, acclaimed artist and Warhol superstar Bibbe Hansen, noted sculptor and public installation artist Jean Shin, and best-selling author and essayist Esmeralda Santiago.
Visiting Artists and Lectures included a talk by curator Corinna Ripps Schaming on Younger Than Today: Photographs of Children (and sometimes their mothers) by Andy Warhol; a talk by exhibiting artist Jungjin Lee on This Place; a talk by curator Joe Mama-Nitzberg and exhibiting artist Abbey Williams on Mickey Mouse has grown up a Cow; 2018 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region artists talks; and FLOW: Works by Alumni Artists from Mohawk Hudson Region Exhibitions 2009-2017 artists talks.
Supported by University Art Museum Endowed Director's Fund and University Auxiliary Service (UAS).
Photography is Dead. Long Live Photography! A roundtable discussion on the past, present, and future of the medium
Moderator: Danny Goodwin
Panelists: Justin Baker, Melinda McDaniel, Owen Barensfeld, and Judah Shepherd
The following donors contributed to the University at Albany Art Museum between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. These gifts include annual contributions, bequest intentions, and gifts-in-kind.
William J. Milne Society ($100,000-$249,999)
*Michael A. Boots
*Marco A. DeThomasis
Edward P. Waterbury Society ($25,000-$99,999)
Jay Lewis
Robin Kanson Lewis '70
David Perkins Page Society ($10,000-$24,999)
Lisa R. Jackson
Alan J. Lizotte, Ph.D.
John P. Lowe, Jr. '73
Ann C. Mataraso '02
Matthew H. Mataraso, Esq.
Podium Society ($2,500-$4,999)
Community Foundation for the Capital Region
Charles A. Forma, Esq. '73
Charles M. Liddle, III
Jennifer Troiano
John P. Troiano '83
1844 Society ($1,000-$2,499)
Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation
Susan D. Phillips
Minerva Club ($500-$999)
Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
Laura J. Backus '92
Timothy P. Backus '89
Kim M. Bessette '90
Tom Bessette
Kathryn K. Lowery '75
Michael C. Lowery '76
Barry C. Ross '71
Susan V. Shipherd '64
Stewart's Shops
Mary J. Wyatt-Ross
Carillon Club ($250-$499)
Lucy Alvarez
Oscar J. Alvarez, Sr. '88
Alvarez Dental, PLLC
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy
James Ayers
Jill E. Baucom '85
Certified Framing & Gallery
Michael J. Marston
Janet Riker
Constance H. Saddlemire '78
Albany Club ($100-$249)
Albany Center Galleries, Inc.
Cynthia L. Blake '78
Carrie Haddad Gallery
Dawn M. Clements '87
Sarah R. Cohen, Ph.D.
Rachel Foullon
Gary D. Gold '70
Carrie Haddad
Angela Benezra Mock '02
Judith A. Mysliborski, MD '69
Annette Nanes
New World Bistro Bar
Nancy A. Pierson '69
Corinna R. Schaming '84
Richard W. Southwick '75
Contributors Club (under $100)
Darcie Abbatiello '02
Alana L. Akacki
Elisa Albert
Laura Barron
Margaret L. Bracken '07
Lacey Clarke
Kimberly Colvin
Kimberly A. Comproski
Maria DeLucia-Evans
Donors to the Collection
Anonymous
Adam H. Brown '87
Brian P. Cirmo '02
Brian Clyne
Cameron Martin
Barry O'Connell
Kristin O'Connell
William Rudolf
Marilee E. Sousie '12
Brian G. Tolle '86
Miriam E. Trementozzi '93
* Individuals whose employers generously matched their gifts
The University Art Museum gratefully acknowledges the continuing support of the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, and The University at Albany Foundation.
As UAlbany's fundraising and stewardship entity, The University at Albany Foundation manages the financial resources donors entrust to it, recognizes supporters for their generosity, and distributes their gifts in accordance with their wishes. Thanks to the generosity of UAlbany donors, The Foundation was able to present almost $1.9 million in scholarships/awards/grants/support last year and over $4.6 million supported faculty research and travel; the hiring of graduate assistants for research teams; the construction or renovation of state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities; and the purchase of specialized equipment.
Your tax−deductible gift to the University Art Museum through The University at Albany Foundation will likewise have a great impact. The museum's continued success depends on the generosity of friends like you. Your contribution will support innovative exhibitions that enrich the intellectual life of the university and the community, as well as programs that engage audiences and foster understanding of contemporary visual arts. To designate your contribution for the University Art Museum, please visit us online at www.albany.edu/giving. For more information about ways to support the museum, please call Michael Boots at (518) 225−1229.
Nicole Cherubini
746,932,514.549713826, 2018
Earthenware, terracotta, black clay, glaze, underglaze, aluminum, steel bolts, wood, magic-sculpt, PC-11
68 x 21 x 20 inches
Image courtesy of the artist and September Gallery, Hudson, NY
Carrie Schneider
Cauleen reading Gwendolyn Brooks (Blacks, pub. 2008), 2017
C-print
36 x 30 inches
Image courtesy of the artist and
Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago, IL
Work Study and Community and Public Service students: Birmania Paute, Gabriel Villeda, Aanaya Rowell-Moten, Cody Mills, Oumou Diallo, and Abdullah Zubair