Jam-packed with eclectic sculpture, elegant paintings and eye-catching multimedia works, the fall 2016 exhibitions at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art leave no stone unturned. The Oracle staff toured the Dorsky’s galleries after the fall opening on Wednesday, Aug. 31 to bring our readers the scoop on the newest and coolest local artists on display.
The following exhibitions are open to the public until Dec. 11, 2016, with the exception of “CAMPSITE,” which closes on Nov. 13, 2016. Admission is free for students and faculty with college ID.
“CAMPSITE: Hudson Valley Artists 2016”
“CAMPSITE” is a fun take on everyone’s favorite time of year: summer. Stirring up feelings of sleepaway camp-era nostalgia and poolside bliss, the artists spotlighted in “CAMPSITE” play with a diverse range of mediums and styles to rally around a shared love of summertime. Sculptures rest alongside multimedia art, acrylic paintings, and photography. Some highlights include dynamic, colorful paintings by Hudson, New York painter Jeff Starr and ordinary objects repurposed into sculpture by Woodstock, New York artist Jessica Baker.
“In/Animate: Recent Work by Myra Mimlitsch-Gray”
SUNY New Paltz metals professor and acclaimed sculptor Myra Mimlitsch-Gray is featured prominently at the Dorsky this semester. Organized by guest curator Akiko Busch, “In/Animate” features a collection of Mimlitsch-Gray’s recent artworks. The sculptures in her exhibition, many of which are made of brass, silver or other metals, blur the distinctions of round and angular. Mimlitsch-Gray plays with shapes and utilitarian objects we readily recognize (spoons, bowls, etc.) to offer a new spin on common household objects. The aptly-titled exhibition evokes a sense of wonder and playfulness, with many of the artist’s works taking on a life of their own.
“Bradley Walker Tomlin: A Retrospective”
Curated by the Dorsky’s own Daniel Belasco, this large exhibition of over 40 artworks offers museum guests a walk through the life and work of abstract expressionist Bradley Walker Tomlin. Walker Tomlin’s works are organized neatly into phases of the artist’s stylistic endeavors, with some paintings showing clear hints of surrealism and cubism. Art history buffs and casual museum goers alike can appreciate the stylistic diversity in the painter’s volume of works featured in the exhibition, which spans over 30 years of Walker Tomlin’s life. Belasco’s notations on the walls of the gallery enrich the exhibition, creating a comprehensive retrospective that honors the legacy of the New York-based painter.
“On the Street and in the Studio: Photographs Donated by Howard Greenberg (Part II)”
A continuation of last semester’s exhibition, “On the Street and in the Studio” features an assortment of images donated by Howard Greenberg, an art collector and the Dorsky’s largest individual donor. The second round of Greenberg’s donations mainly consists of portraiture, with many of them portraits evoking both the struggles and joys of bygone eras. The exhibition makes for a stirring look at historical urban sites through the eyes of their inhabitants.
The Dorsky will hold a public opening reception for the fall 2016 exhibitions on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 5-7 p.m.