Newsletter

Talula Baer ’23g and Reed Humphrey ’24

Talula Baer ’23g and Reed Humphrey ’24 (Metal) were both selected to teach summer craft workshops at Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program in Williamsburg, MA. According to the organization, the Snow Farm summer program offers high school students ages 14 to 18 "an opportunity to live and work with professional artists for two or four weeks each summer."

Learn more about Baer on her website, and check out Humphrey's Instagram account.

Gokul Bakshi ’24g

Gokul Bakshi ’24g (Metal) was awarded a scholarship for a summer-long workshop, Forging Focus, at the Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown, PA. According to the Center, Forging Focus is a six-week intensive course covering a wide range of metal forging techniques.

According to his website, Bakshi studied sculpture at Skidmore College, where he earned a bachelor of science with a concentration in fine art in 2014. He maintains an active studio practice at his home in New Delhi, India.

Sulo Bee ’22g

Works by Sulo Bee ’22g (Metal) were recently acquired by the Museum of Arts and Design for its permanent collection. According Bee's website, their work officially debuted in April as part of the Museum's “OUT of the Jewelry Box” exhibition, where items from the Museum's permanent collection created by queer artists were presented. To commemorate the opening, Bee spoke on the “OUT of the Jewelry Box: In Conversation” panel at the Museum of Art in Design alongside fellow queer makers. 

Bee, a co-founder of Queer Metalsmiths, serves as a lecturer in Metals and Foundations at Texas State University's School of Art and Design. Learn more about Bee at their website.

Kylie Cheng ’24

Kylie Cheng ’24 (Visual Arts Education) was named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate, an honor which recognizes academic excellence in graduating seniors.

According to SUNY New Paltz, Outstanding Graduates "are truly the 'best of the best': students who have gone above and beyond as scholars and leaders in the classroom, and also in independent research experiences, engagement with clubs and honor societies, conference attendance and presentations, internships, jobs, and other co-curricular activities."

Funlola Coker ’22g

The works of Funlola Coker ’22g (Metal) were featured in a solo exhibition, "The Texture of Place," at Brooklyn Metal Works in fall 2023.

"I am interested in what brings people together," wrote Coker for the exhibition's website. "Objects, offerings and acts of care towards one another. This shows up in my relationships with family—traditional and chosen. I examine how these gestures and phenomena live within our consciousness."

Learn more about Coker at funlolacoker.com.

Erica Compton ’24g

Erica Compton ’24g (Metal) was awarded a scholarship to attend a specialized metal forming workshop at the Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, PA.

Check out Compton's work on Instagram.

Tanya Crane ’12

Tanya Crane ’12, an alum of the Metal BFA program, was recently awarded a United States Artists Fellowship. According to the group, the annual $50,000 unrestricted award recognizes "the most compelling artists working and living in the United States, in all disciplines, at every stage of their career."

“Each of my jewelry pieces marks a time, a place, or a memory," Crane said in her United States Artists profile. "They are linked together with a similar visual language where I utilize black and white enamel marks on the surface of copper to indicate my hand and tick marks to represent time passing.”

Crane—a Providence, RI-based jeweler and object maker—is a Professor of the Practice of Metals at Tufts University's School Museum of Fine Arts. See her work, and learn more about her, at her website.

Venetia Dale ’09g

Venetia Dale ’09g (Metal) was awarded the 2023-24 Foster Prize by the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and was featured in the 2023-24 Foster Prize exhibition. According to the ICA, the projects selected for the award "demonstrate how these Boston-area artists each uniquely engage with the theme of states of change, whether through personal experiences, the passage of time, or in the very nature of materials undergoing transformation in the making of an artwork." 

Dale has exhibited nationally and participated in group exhibitions across the country. According to the ICA, Her works are included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Metal Museum in Tennessee; and the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Wisconsin.

Learn more about Dale on her website.

Mariah Day ’24

Mariah Day ’24 (Sculpture) was named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate, an honor which recognizes academic excellence in graduating seniors.

According to SUNY New Paltz, Outstanding Graduates "are truly the 'best of the best': students who have gone above and beyond as scholars and leaders in the classroom, and also in independent research experiences, engagement with clubs and honor societies, conference attendance and presentations, internships, jobs, and other co-curricular activities."

Cristina Dougall

Cristina Dougall ’24 was named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate, an honor which recognizes academic excellence in graduating seniors.

According to SUNY New Paltz, Outstanding Graduates "are truly the 'best of the best': students who have gone above and beyond as scholars and leaders in the classroom, and also in independent research experiences, engagement with clubs and honor societies, conference attendance and presentations, internships, jobs, and other co-curricular activities."

Erin Dougherty ’22

Erin Dougherty ’22 (Sculpture) was honored with the Next Generation Award by the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art. She works as the art studio manager at Bard College. Throughout her sculpture studies at New Paltz, Dougherty worked at the museum, culminating in her graduating thesis artwork being exhibited in their gallery. The Dorsky celebrates her accomplishments and future achievements.

"Dougherty is a shining example of dedication, creativity, and leadership," the Dorsky said in a prepared statement.

Hope Grunert ’24

Photography BFA major Hope Grunert ’24 was named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate, an honor which recognizes academic excellence in graduating seniors.

According to SUNY New Paltz, Outstanding Graduates "are truly the 'best of the best': students who have gone above and beyond as scholars and leaders in the classroom, and also in independent research experiences, engagement with clubs and honor societies, conference attendance and presentations, internships, jobs, and other co-curricular activities."

Lauren Fensterstock ’00g

Lauren Fensterstock ’00g (Sculpture) returned to New Paltz on March 13 as part of the Student Art Alliance's Art Lecture Series. Following a talk in the Lecture Center—in which she shared about her training in the art of metalsmithing and showed her variety of practices through many different types of works (honing in on shellwork and mosaic work)—Fensterstock conducted studio visits with several of our student artists.

Additionally, Fensterstock—who is based in Portland, ME—was recently the subject of a feature article in Colossal, in which she shared that she's working toward a solo show opening at Harlem's Claire Oliver Gallery this fall. According to Colossal, Fensterstock also showed work at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont this spring, and is headed to Italy this September for a residency at Civitella Ranieri.

Marielena Ferrer ’22 ’24g

Marielena Ferrer ’22 ’24g (Sculpture), who was recently appointed as the executive director of Unison Arts Center in New Paltz, was awarded the 2023 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center. Our students have been honored with this prestigious international award 11 times in the past 20 years (with five winners and six honorable mentions). Ferrer's installation, "Broken Monarchs," was selected from a pool of more than 640 sculptural works from colleges and universities worldwide.

“This award reminds me that this is what I should be doing,” Ferrer said. “It is truly an honor to be selected among a talented group of students worldwide.” 

Read the full campus news story on Ferrer's award-winning work.

Additionally, in late May, Ferrer was named as one of 11 recipients of the Ulster County Executive's Arts Mid-Hudson 2024 award. According to the Daily Freeman, "awardees are nominated by the community and are chosen based on their contribution to Ulster County’s cultural life over a significant period of time, the extraordinary support they show for the arts and/or their vision and leadership in using the arts to enhance community life." Award recipients will be honored at a June 11 ceremony at Diamond Mills Hotel and Tavern in Saugerties, where the Samuel Dorsky Museum's Manager of Education and Visitor Experience Zachary Bowman will serve as the guest MC.

Ferrer was also named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate by SUNY New Paltz.

Michael Fortenberry ’23g

Michael Fortenberry ’23g (Sculpture), a visiting instructor of visual arts at Hastings College in Nebraska, recently exhibited his work at the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, NY. He also completed a six-month residency at the Glasshouse Art.Life.Lab, resulting in a permanent outdoor installation.

Jeremy Holmes ’07

Jeremy Holmes ’07 (Sculpture) was named to SUNY New Paltz's 40 Under Forty list for 2024. Holmes works with wood in unconventional ways, creating intricate sculptures from hardwood. His work is displayed in solo and group exhibitions across the country, and he has participated in international art fairs. While a student at New Paltz, he received the Dr. Edwin A. Ulrich Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship and was awarded the Most Outstanding Art Department Graduate. 

Learn more about Holmes on his website.

Olivia Holt ’24

Olivia Holt ’24 (Visual Arts) was named a spring 2024 Outstanding Graduate.

Honored for their academic excellence, students named Outstanding Graduates "are truly the 'best of the best': students who have gone above and beyond as scholars and leaders in the classroom, and also in independent research experiences, engagement with clubs and honor societies, conference attendance and presentations, internships, jobs, and other co-curricular activities," according to SUNY New Paltz.

Megan Kerr ’23

Megan Kerr ’23 (Metal) was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Vermont Studio School in Johnson, VT. According to the nonprofit, the VSS residency provides its artists with "the time and space to focus on their creative practice in an inclusive, international community within a small Vermont village."

See Kerr's work on her Instagram account.

Wren Kingsley ’24

Wren Kingsley ’24, a visual arts major with a minor in anthropology, was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor bestowed upon students by the state university system.

Kingsley, from Ithaca, NY, is a member of the Honors Program and has maintained a 3.9 GPA through an interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on her major and minor, as well as her passion and advocacy for environmental sustainability. She has served as a member of the Sustainability Ambassadors and has held leadership roles as the executive vice president of the Student Association and as the vice president for the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG).

Kingsley’s Honors Program thesis, “Sustainable Materials Management and Community Solutions,” was undertaken as part of an internship offered through the Sustainable Materials Management Stewardship Program at Syracuse University.

Lydia McNally

Lydia McNally ’24 (Painting and Drawing) received an honorable mention and a $500 award from SUNY in 2024's "Best of SUNY Art Exhibition" award—which showcases artistic works by student artists from across the SUNY system—for their painting "Bathroom Self Portrait."

Student artwork selected for the Best of SUNY Art Exhibition award has been on display at the H. Carl McCall Building in Albany since December 2023.

"Across SUNY, we have thousands of artists on our campuses expressing themselves through creativity," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King. "I congratulate every awardee as we celebrate artistic diversity and excellence across SUNY."

Joe Pillari ’24g

Joe Pillari ’24g (Metal) had works exhibited in Craft Forms, an international juried exhibition presented by Wayne Arts Center in Wayne, PA.

"My work reflects the subtle beauty in the passing of time and the distance of memory through classic silversmithing and enameling technique," Pillari wrote on newpaltzmetal.com. "I am drawn to candid imagery that carries its own ambiguity and sentiments of empathy, ardor, passion, even love."

Learn more about Pillari on his Instagram page.

Adriana Reyes ’24

Adriana Reyes ’24 (Painting and Drawing) was featured in a video produced by the SUNY New Paltz Office of Communication & Marketing and shared on the college's social media accounts. In the video, Reyes explained why her painting and drawing degree program was "meant for me," discussed the New Paltz art scene, and shared her excitement over having her own studio space and displaying her work in the BFA thesis exhibitions at the Dorsky Museum. Watch the full video.

Nick Rosin ’24g

Nick Rosin ’24g (Metal) was awarded a summer residency at Baltimore Jewelry Center, an educational nonprofit metals and jewelry maker space in the heart of the City of Baltimore. See Rosin's work on his website.

Paige Van Doren ’24g

Paige Van Doren ’24g (Metal) was selected for a teaching position at Belvoire Terrace Summer Camp in Lenox, MA. The contemporary jewelry and object maker will also be returning to SUNY New Paltz as a full-time visiting lecturer, according to her Instagram page.

Van Doren was also named an Outstanding Graduate for 2024.

Learn more about Van Doren and see her work on her website.

Ni Zhan ’23 and Sitong Chen ’24

Ni (Nini) Zhan ’23 and Sitong Chen ’23 (Metal) both recently had works accepted into Alchemy7, the biennial international juried exhibition from the Enamelist Society. According to the organization, this traveling exhibition showcases "the best in contemporary enamels produced in the last two years," and celebrates "the work of enamelists that demonstrate aesthetic and technical expertise."

Learn more about Zahn and see her works on her website, and view more of Chen's work on her Instagram page.

Art Students Present Honors Thesis Projects

In April and May, Honors Program students Wren Kingsley (Visual Arts), Sarah Kaye (Visual Arts/Linguistics), Althea Llewellyn (Ceramics), and Olivia Rose (Ceramics/English) presented their theses and creative project work. Kingsley, Kaye, and Rose presented their work in the campus Honors Center, while Llewellyn's thesis presentation took place in the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art.

"Over the past few years I've worked intentionally with [Honors Program director] Pat Sullivan to recruit and mentor F&PA students in Honors," said theatre arts professor Andrea Varga, who served as the honors advisor for Kingsley and Kaye. "I am so incredibly proud of the hard work of these young artist/leaders from our school."

On April 30, Kingsley presented "Sustainable Materials Management and Community Solutions" (Major: Visual Arts, Minor: Anthropology).

Llewellyn's presented “Through the Garden Gate of Desire: A Ceramic Universe" on May 6.

Kaye, a double major in visual arts and linguistics and also an astronomy and deaf studies minor, presented "Exploring Science Fiction and Fantasy Graphic Novel Storytelling and Illustration" on May 9.

Also on May 9, Rose—a double major in ceramics and English/creative writing—presented "Creative Writing as Artistic Theory."