Art Gallery Reopens After a Year of Closure

The Marist College Art Gallery, a center of creativity and visual dialogue on campus, has reopened after a year of closure due to the pandemic.

With less COVID restrictions this semester, the art community was eager to open the gallery which is currently showing a faculty exhibition open Monday through Saturday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., until Dec. 4. 

“The art gallery showcases the many talents and skills that our community has to offer and we are so happy to finally open back up this semester,'' said Megan Iovino ‘23, the gallery’s graphic designer. “We are excited for this work to be displayed and appreciated once again.”

The art gallery has been an integral component of the Marist community for years now and serves as a central conversation point. Located in the Steel Plant, the gallery functions as an essential teaching tool for Marist students. 

While the gallery is currently showing the work of faculty, it is heavily student-focused. The gallery teaches students how to have an exhibition and the work that goes into it. Students essentially put together the exhibition, from visiting the artists’ studio and hanging their work, to creating cards, posters, and press releases. 

“To have hands-on experience and to have that direct relation to the artist and their work is something that just can’t be understated,” said Edward Smith, gallery director and art professor. Students learn a tremendous amount from this interactive experience, offering very beneficial skills to those pursuing the visual arts.

Professor Edward Smith's plaster sculptures. Source: Jamie Goodman ‘23

The gallery is filled with works created in a variety of methods and materials, from the more traditional media such as oils and watercolors, to less conventional materials such as cobwebs and human hair. All work is faculty-created, and the artists choose which work they would like to display; Smith leaves the selection process completely in the hands of the artist. 

Joyce Yu-Jean Lee, Professor of Art and Digital Media, chose to display two UV-printed “wall reliefs” in the gallery. Her piece “China/Wuhan Virus, Kung Flu” comments on the social unrest and racism surrounding the pandemic. 

“I thought it was an interesting visual to have the faces of Chinese people be pinned to the meaning of this virus, and I think that that moniker is really an intentional one and one that had a strong impact,” Lee said. 

Professor Joyce Yu-Jean Lee's UV-printed wall reliefs titled China/Wuhan Virus, Kung Flu. Source: Jamie Goodman ‘23

Smith, on the other hand, has three large plaster sculptures on display. “My works in particular are very much alive,” Smith said. “They’re still being considered. They're not finished.” 

Following the faculty show, next semester the gallery will feature several important exhibitions. 

This will include an exhibition for the capping students where they will display their final projects. For the non-senior Art and Digital Media students, there will be an exhibition to showcase faculty-selected pieces of distinction. These works will be up through the summer to serve as a focal point in the Steel Plant and to show prospective students the art that is created at Marist. 

Next semester, the gallery is also planning a very special exhibition. It will honor Professor Donise English and Professor Richard Lewis for their years of service to Marist. It will be an extremely important show for both the art community and Marist as a whole.