MWPAI Bulletin June 2020

Welcome our new Dean

June 2020

Bulletin

MUNSON-WILLIAMS-PROCTOR ARTS INSTITUTE BOARD OF TRUSTEES William C. Craine, Chair

Dietra Harvey

F. X. Matt, III, Vice-Chair

Steven R. Kowalsky

Robert Knight, Secretary

C. Sonia Martinez

Vige Barrie

Peggy O’Shea

Steven J. Brown

Michael D. Damsky, Trustee Emeritus

Michael D. Cominsky

John B. Stetson, Trustee Emeritus

Emma Golden Donna Harkavy

Anna D’Ambrosio, 6 President & CEO

Dear Munson-Williams Community, As New York State continues to reopen and the weather warms, we all sense a feeling of optimism and anticipation.

The staff and I are excited about the prospect of welcoming you back. Our campus-wide taskforce is working hard, preparing our galleries, auditorium, and classrooms to ensure your safety and convenience.

It is you—our members, friends, donors, sponsors, students, and neighbors—who bring meaning to every exhibition, class, and program through your participation, lively input, and thoughtful comments. The Trustees, staff and I extend to you our heartfelt appreciation for your commitment to Munson-Williams.

Thank you for renewing your memberships, offering support at higher levels, and making donations to the Annual Fund, which helps sustain programming year-round. With each of you by our side, Munson-Williams can remain steadfast in our commitment to bringing transformative experiences to our community through the arts.

Please take care,

Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio President & CEO

Cover photo: Steven Lee Hansen, Dean of the Munson-Williams School of Art

PrattMWP and School of Art Welcome Steve!

Steven Lee Hansen Named School of Art Dean Steven Lee Hansen of Edmond, OK, has been named Dean of the Munson-Williams School of Art. He is currently Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Design, University of Central Oklahoma. From 1987 to 2017, he chaired the Department of Visual Art, Communication and Design at Andrews University, MI. In his new position, Hansen will serve as the chief administrative officer of the Munson-Williams School of Art division, comprised of PrattMWP College of Art and Design and the Community Arts Education Program. PrattMWP is an extension campus of Pratt Institute, providing freshman and sophomore instruction in fine arts, communications design, photography, and art and design education since 2000. The Community Arts Education program offers noncredit professional art instruction to children, teens, and adults since 1941.

Hansen succeeds Ken Marchione, who will return to teaching full time in the program after serving as Interim Dean since 2018. Munson-Williams President and CEO Anna D’Ambrosio said Hansen was selected following a nationwide search. “We are delighted to bring Steve to the Munson-Williams campus. He is a dedicated, thoughtful professional with terrific positive energy. His academic and artistic achievements, administrative expertise, and positive energy will be an asset to Munson-Williams and to our community.”

Hansen said he is thrilled to join the close-knit arts community at Munson-Williams and work with the faculty who share in the student-centered focus of PrattMWP. “The dedication of faculty, staff and leadership at PrattMWP as well as student achievement and faculty involvement are spectacular,” he said. “I am also eager to participate in community outreach through arts classes and events, working to build and maintain the arts as an integral part of Utica, and Mohawk Valley life. As a lifelong believer in the importance of the arts in creating and maintaining any great culture, the chance to work as part of the Munson-Williams leadership team is intensely gratifying.”

Hansen has authored articles for Ceramics Monthly magazine and his ceramic works have been featured in numerous scholarly journals, books, and exhibition catalogs. He has been represented in exhibitions throughout the United States and in collections at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, University of Iowa Hospital, Fuller Craft Museum, Midwest Museum of American Art, and the Sonny Kamm Collection.

Museum of Art Explore Munson-Williams through Museum Education Virtual Programs Find them on mwpai.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter FACEBOOK LIVE YOGA CLASSES

Start your day in a calm and relaxed state of mind. All levels of ability are welcome. $10 suggested donation per class. To donate click here.

ART AND YOGA

Saturdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27 10 a.m. Art Talk, 10:30 a.m. Yoga Join us on Facebook for a livestreamed Art and Yoga at Home session. At 10 a.m. enjoy an art talk

by Mary Murray, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, on our Facebook page. Then, look for the live yoga class with Jeri George to begin at 10:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY MORNING YOGA

Wednesdays, June 3, 10, 17, 24 8 a.m.

Expand your practice with an early morning yoga class led by Lisa Gallagher on Facebook Live.

TOURS

Choose a tour and enjoy the virtual journey with our mobile guide app MWP Museum of Art Mobile Guide, available for download on Google Play and the App Store.

KIDS CORNER Visit KIDS CORNER for simple crafts.

Keep the little ones entertained as Virtual Storytelling connects you to storytimes with children’s book authors, educators, and celebrities. Some featured books have received the Caldecott Award, the annual award given to artists of the most distinguished American picture books for children.

BECOME A DOCENT The Museum of Art Education Department is accepting applications for the 2020-2021 docent-training program that begins in September. Please note, the docent training class size is limited to five participants, and social distancing measures will be carefully observed. Candidates should have an enthusiastic and friendly attitude, the ability to communicate effectively with groups, a strong interest in art, and available time for training and presentation of tours. It is not necessary that candidates have prior knowledge of art history, public speaking experience, or teaching credentials.

Candidates must be prepared to commit to a training program that prepares them with presentation skills, general art history background, and information on the permanent collection and special exhibitions. The training is broad-based and offers opportunities for new friendships, continued personal growth, and learning techniques to engage museum visitors.

Candidates will expand their understanding of art and be challenged by new ideas. The docent program is a productive way to invest your volunteer time while sharing your love of the arts with others. Please contact Amy Francisco, Educator for Docent and Tour Programs, afrancisco@mwpai.edu by June 30 for further information and an application.

Performing Arts Film Series Now Available Online Access to the latest independent film titles is now being offered directly through the MWPAI website for at-home rental (prices vary). These titles are viewable directly from the distributor via our website.

• Click here for more information • Once your rental is confirmed, you will receive an email providing a few days of access to watch the film on a variety of devices.

• Each title will be available for a limited time.

• Check the website often as more titles will be added in the coming weeks.

• Proceeds from your purchase help benefit the Film Series at MWPAI. The MWPAI Film Series is sponsored by:

All titles and dates subject to change.

The MWPAI Film Series is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

The Shows Will Go On! Spring 2020 performing arts events have been rescheduled. All tickets for the original dates will be honored on the new dates. If you are unable to attend on the rescheduled event, please contact the Ticket Office once Munson-Williams returns to regular business hours.

BARRON RYAN: CLASSIC MEETS COOL

New Date: January 23, 2021

KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY SIEGEL: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN

New Date: September 12, 2020

SMIRK!

New Date: November 11, 2020

STEEL BETTY (FAMILY SHOW & EVENING CONCERT)

New Date: December 5, 2020

KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY SIEGEL: THREE GREAT B’S: BACH, BEETHOVEN, AND BRAHMS

New Date: November 14, 2020

All dates and titles are subject to change and will depend on any local, state and national guidelines regulating public gatherings in effect at the time.

Performing Arts Join the Party as First Fridays Happy Hour Goes Live Online June 6 The party continues as Munson-Williams First Fridays Happy Hour goes online 6 p.m.

Friday, June 6.

You can join the party at YouTube: mwpaimobi and on Facebook. See links below.

All the elements that make First Fridays Happy Hour such great events will be there including live music by Tyler Westcott of the band Folkfaces, an Art Talk by Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Mary Murray, illustration instruction from PrattMWP Professor Ken Marchione, and a featured cocktail by Feast & Festivities by O’Connor’s.

Stay Involved with Munson-Williams Our programming has gone online, so stop by our Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube channel, Twitter, and the PrattMWP Instagram to see what’s going on. facebook.com/MWPAI/ instagram.com/mwpai/ youtube.com/watch?v=lh6HBUFJMpA&feature=youtu.be twitter.com/mwpai instagram.com/prattmwpcollege/

School of Art Virtual and In-Person Classes this Summer at the School of Art A number of Community Arts Education classes, online and in person, will be held this summer July 13 through August 7. (Six-week ceramics classes end Aug 21).

In-person classes will be limited to 50% capacity.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Art of Clothing Alterations (teens and adults) - Niki English

VIRTUAL COURSE: Watercolor - Annette Gurdo

VIRTUAL COURSE: Studio Painting Summer Group - Chris Cirillo

VIRTUAL COURSE: Intro to Expressive Color - Janet Loren Hill

ON-CAMPUS: Intermediate/Advanced Ceramics - Veronica Byun

Landscape Painting En Plein Air

ON-CAMPUS: Intermediate Jewelry Summer Group - Shannon Stockbridge

ON-CAMPUS: Beginning Sewing - Niki English

SITE-SPECIFIC COURSE: Landscape Painting En Plein Air (held in person outside and off campus.

Zoom meetings on rainy days) - Annette Gurdo

SITE-SPECIFIC COURSE: Digi-Photo: Utica Landmarks Edition - Eric Mishalaine Artist in Residence Janet Loren Hill

Intermediate Jewelry

PrattMWP PrattMWP Sophomore Work Accepted into National Art Show Devika Kamath, of Bangalore, India, an Illustration student in the PrattMWP Class of 2020, was recently accepted into a national art show through the Society of Illustrators in New York City.

Artists in this prestigious exhibition are the winners of the Society of Illustrators annual Student Scholarship Competition showcasing college students’ most sophisticated, well-crafted, and original work. A jury of professional peers, including illustrators and art directors, select the most outstanding works created throughout the academic year. Pieces are accepted based on the quality of technique, concept, and skill of medium used. More than 300 pieces were chosen this year from 7,300 entries submitted by professors of college-level illustration and animation students in the United States and Canada. This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Society will be featuring all accepted artists and their works within an Online Gallery platform this year. Please visit the show here. A printed catalogue of this year’s winners will also be published and available for purchase through the Society’s website soon.

“The Society of Illustrators is the most prestigious guild in our field. It sets the bar in terms of defining artistic achievement for illustration in the five major areas of books, editorials, surface/product design, advertising illustration, and institutional,” said Joseph Murphy, PrattMWP Illustration instructor. “The artists who grace their walls are commissioned by some of the largest corporate clients in the world and define the era in which we live in terms of what we consume in advertising, publishing, and entertainment.”

Kamath’s accepted piece is a collage of jazz singer Billie Holiday created in Murphy’s Image As Communication class.

The purpose of the assignment was an exploration in understanding value, line, and shape, which are the basic elements of design used to render and communicate the likeness of a figure. “They are often difficult to master, but Devika’s collage clearly shows careful consideration and craft.

It turned out great,” Murphy added.

This fall, Kamath will continue working towards a bachelor’s degree in Illustration at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, eventually hoping to work in children’s book illustration.

Kamath is passionate about the LGBTQ+ community, mental health, National Geographic, and comics. Positive,adaptable, and focused, Kamath works hard to create work that is inclusive and multifaceted. As an illustrator, dessert hoarder, Pokemon trainer, and dog lover, Kamath uses a variety of media from traditional to digital and are interested in learning new ways to create art.

Devika Kamath, An Unexpected Result, acrylic texture collage

Development WILLIAM C. CRAINE NAMED MUNSON-WILLIAMS BOARD CHAIR William C. Craine, of Sherburne, is the new Chair of the Munson-Williams Board of Trustees. A member of the board since 2017, Mr. Craine is a broadly experienced corporate board director and chairman. He is currently the director of a property and casualty insurance company and an ESOP-qualified director of a regional food logistics company. Mr. Craine is a publicly elected financial officer in Chenango County government and is currently a board member of Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, New Berlin, NY; Willow Run Foods, Binghamton, NY; Carleton College, Northfield, MN; the Norwich YMCA; the Craine Family Foundation; and the Brown Foundation.

Regarding his involvement with Munson-Williams, Mr. Craine has always had a keen interest in the arts and how important they are in contributing to a flourishing society. “Creativity is the foundation of everything we do,” he says.

“I see my role as board chair as helping a diverse board and highly talented and dedicated staff strive to fulfill the Munson-Williams mission.”

Mr. Craine is very optimistic about the future of this organization. "MunsonWilliams has a bright future. Thanks to fine leadership of (Past President) Tony Spiridigliozzi and Anna D'Ambrosio and the staff, Munson-Williams has a solid base from which to serve its community,” he said.

William C. Craine The 12 members of the Board of Trustees govern Munson-Williams and its divisions, including the Museum of Art, Performing Arts, and School of Art with PrattMWP College of Art and Design.

Trustees are appointed to an initial term of three years.

The Munson-Williams Board of Trustees includes: Chair William C. Craine, Vice Chair F. X. Matt III, Secretary Robert Knight, Vige Barrie, Steven J. Brown, Michael D. Cominsky, Emma Golden, Donna Harkavy, Dietra Harvey, Steven R. Kowalsky, Carmen Sonia Martinez, and Peggy O’Shea. Michael D. Damsky and John B. Stetson serve as trustee emeriti.

Show Us Your Support Munson-Williams looks forward to warmly welcoming the community back to enjoy our galleries, community arts programming and beautiful campus as soon as it is possible. These are challenging times for us all, and we hope you are in good spirits and health! Right now, we are doing everything possible to sustain daily operations and continue to provide services to our community through our online and social media programming. While there is a lot of uncertainty, we know that now, more than ever, our community needs the arts. And, we need you.

Please consider joining/renewing your MWPAI membership or making a donation online using the link below.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Stefanski at kstefansk@mwpai.edu. In times like this, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are. Thank you for being part of our community with your ongoing support and commitment to Munson-Williams. Without you, none of it is possible.