With one new exhibition open to the public and three additional exhibitions in the works, it’s safe to say that the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art’s gallery walls will have a little something for everyone.
The Oracle staff spoke to Daniel Belasco, art curator at the Dorsky, to get a first look at the museum’s major exhibitions opening during the spring 2016 semester. According to Belasco, the museum’s two-fold mission was the driving force behind this semester’s art selections: the Dorsky aims to display art from the Hudson Valley and the surrounding community while enriching the courses and material available to New Paltz students on campus. The museum’s location outside of New York City means that the Dorsky can spotlight local artists who don’t always receive the attention they deserve, Belasco said.
The Dorsky will hold its opening reception for the following exhibitions on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.
Andrew Lyght: Full Circle
Curated by Tumelo Mosaka, “Full Circle” features four decades worth of multimedia artwork and installations by Guyanese artist Andrew Lyght. The gallery is full of vibrant, geometric paintings and installations reminiscent of a cubist painting or child’s playroom. Lyght is based locally: according to Belasco, he’s lived in Kingston for over 10 years. “Full Circle” includes a selection of some of his older works installed in other art galleries alongside newer works. This exhibition opened to the public in the Dorsky’s Alice and Horace Chandler and North Galleries on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and will remain open until Sunday, April 20.
Made For You: New Directions in Contemporary Design
If you’re a do-it-yourself expert or Etsy enthusiast, “Made For You” will be right up your alley. The exhibition, curated by contemporary design expert and independent curator and art writer Jennifer Scanlan, features design works from contemporary artists and designers in the Hudson Valley who specialize in custom, one-of-a-kind pieces. Works in the gallery range from kitchen utensils, to furniture, to fashion garments. Also featured in the gallery are designers who work with 3D printers to conceptualize their artistic visions. In fact, installed alongside the artwork will be two to three small 3D printers in action, Belasco said. The curator himself dubbed them the technology of the future. “Made For You” opens on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the Morgan Anderson and Corridor Galleries and closes on Sunday, July 10.
On the Street and in the Studio: Photographs Donated by Howard Greenberg
One of the Dorsky’s biggest donors, Howard Greenberg has donated over 1,000 photographs to the museum, Belasco said. “On the Street and in the Studio” is a small slice of his donated photographs, comprised of about 70 images hand-picked by Belasco. Shot entirely with film cameras, the images depict the lives and times of New Yorkers on the city streets, with some photographs dating as far back as the 1940s. The first part of this two-part exhibition opens on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the Howard Greenberg Family Gallery and closes on Sunday, July 10. The second part, which will include portraits selected from Greenberg’s donations, will open on Wednesday, Aug. 31.
The Floating World: Holograms by Rudie Berkhout
Also curated by Belasco, “The Floating World” highlights a medium of a bygone era: holography, which had its heyday in the art world during the 1970s. The late artist, Rudie Berkhout, specialized in holograms and his works were featured in museums and galleries across the globe during his lifetime. According to Belasco, Berkhout’s work is quite unlike anything else. The holograms themselves operate with light fixtures positioned behind small screened panels. As the viewer moves throughout the gallery, different shapes, lines and forms jump out from different holographic panels, creating a unique and distinctly dynamic experience. “The Floating World” opens on Saturday, Feb. 6 in the Sara Bedrick Gallery and closes on Sunday, July 10.