College of the Arts Exhibits Works by 2015 Graduates of MFA Studio Arts Program

Exhibition is at Central Booking Gallery, New York, from June 4-20; opening reception on June 7 from 6-8 p.m.

The College of the Arts and Department of Art and Design are proud to present the MFA in Studio Arts 2015 Thesis Exhibition, a culminating exhibition featuring works produced by students graduating from the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Arts program, off campus at the Central Booking Gallery, 21 Ludlow St., New York, from June 4-20.  An Opening Reception will take place on June 7, from 6-8 p.m..

Entitled “dirt-e,” the exhibition is curated by by Ben Davis, the MFA program’s 2014-’15 visiting critic, and features the following artists:

•    Teresa Braun
•    Daniel Morowitz
•    Irena Pejovic
•    Esmeralda Vazquez
•    John Ryan

“Different as they are, the artists in this show come together to form a collective statement about the stakes of imagination today,” said Davis. “They go deep into their own minds to come out with something that will mess with yours. They’re myth makers, world builders, game players, and inventors of artistic obstacle courses and experiences more difficult to describe.

“Each of the [artists’] rooms here functions as an invitation to enter a new conversation about what it means to be making art now,” Davis added. “The stakes are both intimate and fantastical. They tackle drag and gender; the mythic and the profane; sickness and the monstrous; improvisation and order; and the procedures of painting.”

Finally, Davis added a note on the title.

“This show is called “dirt-e,” and it’s going to get dirty: spiritually dirty, artistically dirty, metaphorically dirty, and, at times, actually, literally dirty — all depending on where you are standing in it. It should be an exciting ride.”

“One of the core values of the MFA program is in building new futures,” added Program Director Prof. Andrew Atkinson. “The program encourages students to imagine widely and deeply, so as to create work that has deep ramifications. This gives the students and their work a strong trajectory that lasts well beyond the program itself. We’re all very proud of the students, their work and this thesis exhibition. ”

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About the MFA in Studio Art Program

The Montclair State University MFA in Studio Art is a rigorous two-year interdisciplinary program designed to offer artists a critical, conceptual and intellectual framework to experiment and develop their practice. Offering a wide array of comprehensive and individualized training in art theory, history, criticism and practice, the program provides students with vital skills to pursue their artistic vision and work across a diversity of mediums. Throughout the program, students are immersed in a dynamic environment of creative dialogue with leading faculty and one-on-one mentoring with visiting artists and critics.

Over the years, the program has invited an exceptional group of artists, curators and visiting critics, such as Davis, to the program to engage with students in in-depth capacities. Other notables have included Eleanor Heartney, Matthew Nichols, Roberta Smith, James Rosenquist, Philip Pearlstein, William Wegman, Shirin Neshat and Dana Schutz. Further information about the MFA program may be obtained by contacting program assistant Louise Davies, or its director Dr. Andrew Atkinson, or by calling 973-655-4074.