“The opening is an art world ritual,” curator at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art Daniel Belasco said in front of a small hologram.
On Saturday, Feb. 6 the Dorsky held an opening reception to debut three new exhibitions: “Made For You: New Directions in Contemporary Design,” “On the Street and in the Studio: Photographs Donated by Howard Greenberg” and “The Floating World: Holograms by Rudie Berkhout.” It also celebrated another exhibition, already unveiled to the public, “Andrew Lyght: Full Circle.” Some of the artists were in attendance as well as their fans, SUNY New Paltz students, faculty members and Hudson Valley natives.
According to Belasco, on average three to four exhibitions are held per semester, making it a total of roughly six to eight exhibitions a year. An opening reception kicks off the start of every semester and the beginning of the summer session.
“It takes us a good two or three years to develop an exhibition, sometimes less and sometimes more,” Belasco said. “So what you’re seeing here, now, is a group of shows that we’ve been working on for a number of years.”
The evening consisted of sparkling conversation about aesthetic masterpieces, hors d’oeuvres, Hudson Valley artists and a speech made by President Donald Christian welcoming everyone to the 2016 shows.
“I heard recently that the Hudson Valley was ranked as one of the five most artistic places in the world,” Christian said. “We’re very proud and excited that the Dorsky museum is part of that profile and reputation of the arts in our region.”
Belasco said that the Dorsky is a regional museum. Its mission is to serve the students and the community and showcase the talent of the Hudson Valley region, but that doesn’t stop the museum from garnering attention on a much larger scale. Two articles about these shows are currently in The New York Times, one on Andrew Lyght’s exhibition and the second on the other three.
Lyght attended the reception that featured his largest museum show to date and his debut into the Hudson Valley art scene.
“It’s not a career, its more a life,” Lyght said.
According to Lyght, he moved to the Hudson Valley in 2006 and began making art at age 6. He then went on to win his first prize at the humble age of 10 and by age 14 Lyght was creating professionally.
“By 19, I won all of the prizes that could be won in Guyana,” he said.
The event lasted for two hours and eager art lovers rushed in and wandered out after they feasted on their fair share of cultural enrichment. Events inspired by these prominent artists and their brand new shows are soon to follow.
“I came with very little expectations. I really didn’t know much about the exhibits and they all exceeded my expectations,” New Paltz resident Nava Atlas said.