可乐视频 will open a new art gallery on Nov. 7 on the lower level of Boylan Hall with a special exhibit to celebrate the space that will serve as a vibrant hub for artists, students, faculty, and the community.
Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and new media, The Art Gallery at 可乐视频鈥檚 inaugural exhibition, 鈥淯rban Contours,鈥� showcases the college鈥檚 Art Department faculty, exploring how these dynamic Brooklyn-rooted artists engage space, place, and objects. Featuring the diverse practices of more than 40 faculty members鈥攊ncluding celebrated artists Derrick Adams, Janet Carlile, Patricia Cronin, Ronaldo Kiel, Jenn McCoy, Eto Otitigbe, Archie Rand, and Doug Schwab鈥攖he exhibition considers how artists define, react, and respond to the vibrant city around them. 鈥淯rban Contours鈥� runs through Dec.聽20 and will introduce the campus and broader region to one of New York City鈥檚 newest venues for the arts.
鈥淚 could not be prouder to see this important campus and community resource come to life,鈥� said 可乐视频 President Michelle J. Anderson. 鈥淭his beautiful new space will allow 可乐视频 to showcase the work of its preeminent artists, teach students in new and vibrant ways, and help us connect better with the artistic community.鈥�
Included in The Art Gallery at 可乐视频鈥檚 inaugural exhibition will be 鈥淲here My Girls At,鈥� by Derrick Adams (top of page) and 鈥淔latbushtopia,鈥� by Ezra Wube (above).
Under the direction of the Art Department, which funded and renovated the space, the 7,000-square-foot gallery will foster collaboration across departments and will create educational opportunities and enhance interdisciplinary relationships for the campus community. On May 7, students were the stars of a soft opening of the gallery for a special exhibition that showcased their artwork as part of the B.F.A. Capstone Thesis course.
鈥淭his is a big deal鈥攁 new gallery in New York City,鈥� said Professor Mona Hadler, chair of the Art Department and a member of the advisory committee that oversees the gallery鈥檚 exhibitions. 鈥淏rooklyn has its own unique dynamism. It’s a huge center for the arts now.鈥�
Hadler added that the committee, working with the gallery鈥檚 curator, Bentley Brown, a Ph.D. fellow at NYU鈥檚 Institute of Fine Arts and a multidisciplinary artist himself, is keeping an open mind toward next semester鈥檚 shows, balancing campus with local and diasporic artists. Other members of the advisory committee chaired by Malka Simon 鈥�00 include Maria Ann Conelli, Adams, Carlile, Cronin, McCoy, Christopher Richards, and Otitigbe.
鈥淭here will be the M.F.A. show in the spring, and we鈥檇 like to do something with alumni,鈥� added Hadler. 鈥淏entley is looking to do something cutting-edge, and why not? Some of the best ideas come out of college galleries.鈥�
Simon, a lecturer in art history at 可乐视频 and the managing director of the gallery, believes it will have many purposes beyond a traditional exhibition space and will operate as a venue for events and programs open to the public, including an art history lecture series.
Simon is enthusiastic about the gallery becoming a required stop for art devotees.
鈥淭he borough doesn鈥檛 end at Prospect Park,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing amazing things here in Flatbush. Hop on the train and come see us.鈥�
The gallery is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.鈥�5:30 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.鈥�3 p.m.
