DCC Exhibit In Plain Sight Helps Students Learn to See and Draw

Release Date April 3, 2007

Poughkeepsie, NY – How does an artist learn to see, and what do they look for? Those are insights Dutchess Community College Gallery Director Lynn Palumbo explores in DCC’s new exhibit In Plain Sight. The show runs April 9 through May 4, with an Artists’ Reception on Thursday, April 12 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery at the main campus in Poughkeepsie. For information, contact Palumbo at (845) 431-8000 ext. 3982, email palumbo@sunydutchess.edu, or visit www.sunydutchess.edu/pvac/WashingtonArtGallery.htm

In Plain Sight features the representational drawings of Hudson Valley artists Tony Ferri, Carol Struve, Juan Garcia-Nunez, Sarah Greer Mecklem, Bruce Bundock, and Rick Finkelstein. “This exhibit was formulated specifically to inspire our students by showing them strong examples of mature artists working within the representational tradition,” said Palumbo.

Although the teaching of drawing could be approached in many ways, the DCC program in art foundations emphasizes the skills needed for “observational drawing.” The six artists selected for In Plain Sight are displaying their own variations on figure, landscape, and still-life. “They use drawing to create narratives, to develop new vocabularies of form, to explore technique, or as preparatory studies for paintings. All their works convey the tactile pleasure of drawing as a process,” said Palumbo.

Each artist brings a different focus in work and technique. Tony Ferri retired in 2005 after 31 years of teaching in DCC’s Visual Arts program, part of DCC’s Department of Performing, Visual Arts, and Communications. Several generations of art students were introduced to drawing under his rigorous approach to traditional draftsmanship. His works include several large-scale figure compositions made during a 2002 sabbatical.

Carol Struve and Juan Garcia-Nunez also teach at DCC. Struve draws her inspiration from the light and the look – as well as the smells, sounds, and feel – of the forest. “The light can shatter between the branches of trees and open to the skies above. In making these drawings, my main concern was that of communicating and expressing impressions, associations, and memories of my experiences related to particular wooded landscapes.”

Garcia-Nunez is a cross-disciplinary artist who teaches video production, media studies, and design. For this exhibit, he is displaying a mixed media, multi-image assemblage entitled “Almas y Dientes.” “The fragmentation of these images allows the narrative of secondary histories, as well as offering a complete vision of a fictional reality,” said Garcia-Nunez.

Sarah Greer Mecklum draws on her personal history growing up and living in the Catskills and New York City. “Domestic objects in the studio, friends visiting the house, or the vivid detail of the nearby landscape are images that reflect the intimacies of seeing; of immersion in everyday life,” said Mecklum.

Rick Finkelstein uses photographic sources for his drawings, while Bruce Bundock’s work focuses on two historic buildings going through changes of use – the Kirkland Hotel in Kingston, and the Rhinecliff Hotel. “For quite a while, I have been intrigued by the blend of architectonic elements with the natural forms of landscape,” said Bundock. “Something about the interplay of the angular with the curvilinear is a constant source of delight and addresses my formal painting concerns. The continuing challenge for me is the representation of the land as seen through 21st century eyes.”

The Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery is located at the north end of campus in the Allyn J. Washington Center for Science and Art. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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