SUNY Oswego’s Tyler Art Gallery will put on both a Fall BFA Exhibition and an Alums Thriving Exhibition starting on Friday, Dec. 2, in Tyler Hall.
The campus and community are welcome to see the exhibitions through Dec. 9, with a joint reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 2. Tyler Art Gallery is open for this exhibition from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 2 to 9.
The BFA Exhibition, titled “Genesis,” is the celebration for SUNY Oswego art and design students pursuing their bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degrees and due to graduate this semester. These seniors prepare for this event throughout their four years at SUNY Oswego.
“Those who come for the exhibition will get to see the wide variety of work our students have created, from digital art, to fine art and ceramics,” said Lowell Hutcheson, assistant director of arts programming.
Students see the BFA Exhibition as a way for them to show the public what they have learned over their time at SUNY Oswego, as well as to show off their projects. This exhibition is a part of SUNY Oswego BFA degree requirements, which hold students to a high standard.
Everything in this exhibition is designed and installed by art students. This year’s exhibition will have several types of artistic media and conceptual approaches represented at the event. “Genesis” will include works from Isaiah Allen, Halley Dellostritto, Lauren Jones, Michaela Lawrence and Shannon Reals.
“We encourage current students to come see what their fellow students are creating, alumni to see what our current students and graduates are doing, the general public to see the talent we have on campus, and prospective students to see what we have to offer at SUNY Oswego,” Hutcheson said.
In addition to “Genesis,” the Alums Thriving Exhibition provides a chance for Oswego alumni to come back and showcase their artwork from the past few years.
Alumni with pieces in the show include Abhishek Thapa, Natalie Archibee, Andjela Djapa, Joey Sweener, Riley Clarke, Megan Labosky, Anthony Mastraccio, Katrina Winberg, Angel Compros-Toro, Lea Kochis, Drew Parrott and Shea McCarthy.
Since exhibitions were canceled from March 2020 through August 2021 due to COVID restrictions, 72 students could not display their work in Tyler Art Gallery and instead utilized online formats and window banners to showcase their pieces for the public. As with many artists across the fine and performing arts spectrum, COVID revealed a resiliency that showcased the ability of artists to rise above adversity.
This exhibition is the first to invite alumni back to Tyler Hall to show off their work and show that SUNY Oswego's art and design graduates are active and thriving.
“We also encourage people to come for the reception on Dec. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. when they can meet the artists,” Hutcheson said. “This is a particularly special exhibition for our alums whose lives were thrown upside down their final semester.”
For more information on the exhibition or Tyler Art Gallery, email artswego@oswego.edu.
–- Written by Gabrielle Kroeger of the Class of 2023