Dowd Gallery presents Student Select 2023

05/02/2023 

Student Select 2023, an exhibition featuring work created by 54 SUNY Cortland student artists, runs through Saturday, May 13, in the Dowd Fine Arts Center’s Dowd Gallery and adjacent spaces.

In conjunction with the Art and Art History Department, Dowd Gallery and Art Exhibition Association, Cortland Arts Connect will host a First Friday on Friday, May 5. The exhibit may be viewed from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in person, or virtually as a 3D visual tour with installation images on the Dowd Gallery website.

“The three-week exhibition demonstrates that creativity thrives parallel with strong academic achievements,” said Natalija Mijatovic, a working artist and professor in Binghamton University’s Art and Design Department. She was invited to be this year’s juror by the student-run Art Exhibition Association, which organized and sponsored the exhibition.

The annual exhibition opened on Monday, April 24, in the center’s Dowd Gallery, Hallway Gallery and Critiques Space.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Dowd Center, located on the corner of Graham Avenue and Prospect Terrace, is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Walk-ins are welcome.

The exhibition is closed on Saturdays except for graduation day, Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Student Select 2023 featured an opening reception and awards ceremony on April 27 in the Dowd Gallery. Organized and sponsored by the student-run Art Exhibition Association, the ceremony featured the student artists, faculty and staff from the Art and Art History Department and Mijatovic. 

During the opening reception, Alyssa Cusimano, a graduating BFA studio art major with a concentration in painting, delivered her BFA thesis defense on her body of work, “(dis)content,” on display in the west wing of the Dowd Gallery. Katherine Kressner, a graduating senior from the Graphic Design and Digital Media program, discussed her semester-long independent study project addressing a personal loss, titled “Kindred Quilt.” Her animated short film is screening in the gallery’s Critique Space.

Mijatovic, a past Dowd Gallery Fall 2021 featured artist whose solo show was titled, “Of Snow and Sorrow,” chose for the exhibition 116 pieces from 54 student artists representing ceramics, digital illustration, drawing, painting, photography, fibers, graphic design, sculpture and video.

“I was impressed with the consistency and high quality of artwork across the media,” Mijatovic said. “Results are a testament to a great art program and classes offered at SUNY Cortland.”

The diverse selection of art produced by art majors, nontraditional students and non-art majors alike demonstrates their imagination, acquired skills and enthusiasm, she noted.

After careful deliberation, Mijatovic selected three students as winners of the Student Select 2023 exhibition. Two Honorable Mentions also were awarded.

The First Prize went to Cesilia Tucker ’22, a former studio art major who graduated last fall, for her oil pastel drawing, titled “22.”

“The work transcends a sense of space and dreamy-like urban environment with poetic composition,” Mijatovic said. “It is a thoughtful work both with the use of color and perspective.”

Gabriel Carraher, a junior studio art major with a concentration in fiber arts, was awarded Second Prize for his woven piece, “Healing Touch.”

“The monochromatic scarf is beautifully done but also carries an additional spiritual dimension as an object of healing and conduit for peace. It is evident that the making process was a form of meditation,” Mijatovic added.

Kressner took Third Prize for her 2-minute digital stop-motion animation, “Kindred Quilt.”

“The student illustrated a heavy emotional journey after a tragic loss in a sensitive and lyrical delivery,” Mijatovic said. “The short film conveyed love and hope embedded in the beauty of a moving drawing.”

For Honorable Mention, two students were recognized for showing dedication to their artistic practice and producing consistently strong work inside and outside of the classroom. Mijatovic selected Dana Garrison, a junior BFA studio art student with a concentration in painting. For Honorable Mention/Director’s Pick, Dowd Gallery Director Jaroslava Prihodova chose Cusimano.

Additional Student Select 2023 exhibitors are:

• Yves Auguste
• Tyler Avelli
• Leah Bernhardt
• Dillon Boyack
• Adrian Cabreja
• Ella Carbone
• Ryan Castro
• Morgan Cherrone
• Betsy Clasby
• Alyssa Cusimano
• Katherine De Marinis
• Amanda Dirig
• Firat Ercan
• Julia Espinal
• Amadeus Fairbrother
• Izabella Fraser
• Sophia Genao
• Ashley Gill
• Deanna Gilman
• Sarah Goldberg
• Taylor Goodney
• Ella Gorrell
• Gabriella Grieser
• Evelyn P. Hull
• Kristen Jeppestol
• Mckenna Johnston
• Samantha Kenny
• Michelle LaMorte
• Chloe Loewenguth
• Sophie Marin
• Madelyn Marinelli
• Talia Masson
• Jackson Masters
• Jakob Mawhir
• Kaitlyn Mccormick
• Brooke O’Leary
• Robert Ponterio
• Alyssa Reardon
• Lindsey Richards
• Megan Robinson
• Elizabeth Rogers
• Mai Siwinski
• Jean Tomassini
• Noelle Turner
• Ariele Vance
• Ariez Vanderpool
• Cassie Williams
• Rory Wolcott
• Angel Zapata

“The annual exhibition, historically presented in the Dowd Gallery, offers participants an opportunity to learn about formal presentations while sharing their creations with the campus community in a gallery setting, Prihodova said.

For more information, an appointment, a tour, or additional images, contact Jaroslava Prihodova, at 607-753-4216. Visit the SUNY Cortland Dowd Gallery website for details about exhibiting artists, other programs, safety protocols and group visits.

TOP IMAGE: Student Select 2023 Third Prize: Katherine Kressner, “Kindred Quilt”, 2022 - 2023, digital stop-motion animation, 2 minutes.