A New Beginning: Art & Design Faculty Exhibition

SUNY Buffalo State recently created the Department of Art and Design, merging the educational and creative activities of the former departments of Art Education, Design, Fine Art, and Interior Design. The Burchfield Penney Art Center and our partners at Buffalo State College see this convergence as a great opportunity for a holistic approach to educating and creating in the arts. But what does this look like? A New Beginning explores this new creative force. Selected work representing the full-time faculty will provide greater insight to their contemporary approaches in the field. A wide range of works illustrates the diverse, culturally aware, and socially relevant orientation of their practice. The exhibition includes a beautifully illustrated art history book, ceramics, illustrations, interior design, jewelry, lacquerware, mixed media collage and assemblage, paintings, pastel drawing, photography, sculptures, textiles, and video.

The following faculty are participating in the exhibition: Michelle S. Bae-Dimitriadis, Associate Professor, Art Education; Jozef Bajus, Associate Professor, Fibers; Eric R. Dolph, Assistant Professor, Interior Design; Frances Gage, Associate Professor, Art History; Lin Xia Jiang, Professor, Painting; Sunhwa Kim, Associate Professor, Wood/Furniture; Candace Keegan Masters, Associate Professor, Art Education/Painting; Joseph Miller, Associate Professor, Drawing and Painting; Tara Nahabetian, Associate Professor, Metals/Jewelry Design; Philip Ogle, Professor, Drawing, Mixed Media; Brent Patterson, Assistant Professor, Communication Design; Kenneth Patrick Payne, Professor, Sculpture; Alice Pennisi, Associate Professor, Art Education; Richard Ross, Associate Professor, Illustration; Stephen Saracino, Professor, Metals/Jewelry; Jörg Schnier, Chair & Associate Professor, Interior Design; Bhakti Sharma, Associate Professor, Interior Design; Yola Monakhov Stockton, Assistant Professor, Photography; Colleen Toledano, Associate Professor, Ceramics; Carol Townsend, Associate Professor, Foundations; and Robert L. Wood, Professor, Ceramics.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center’s curatorial team included Scott Propeack, Associate Director and Chief Curator; Nancy Weekly, Burchfield Scholar and Burchfield Penney Instructor of Museum Studies; and Kathy Shiroki, Curatorial Associate and Lecturer, Art Education. They visited each faculty member in their studio or office and were treated to impressive histories of each talented artist, art historian, and designer. Ms. Weekly stated, “SUNY Buffalo State is so fortunate to have faculty with such profoundly accomplished careers filled with international travel and a sustained level of inquiry. They get involved in both community activities and international research to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as fresh perspectives to their students. This exhibition provides a window on their artmaking.” Each work on exhibition was selected in collaboration with its creator, from work created this year to proud accomplishments dating back as far as 1984. Each piece tells a story, which has been transcribed and shared on the exhibition’s posting on Burchfield Penney Art Center’s website, www.burchfieldpenney.org. There visitors can also see an artist profile to learn more about their fascinating achievements.