A new exhibit features mixed-media works by nine emerging New York City artists July 7 through August 31 in the Puck Building (295 Lafayette St., 2nd Floor).

Exhibit of Works by Nine Rising New York City Artists Opens July 7 in The Gallery Space at NYU Wagner
"Final Goat," by Jordan Walczak.

New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, in partnership with the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, is pleased to announce the opening of Position of Conflict, our fifth and closing exhibition of the 2010-2011 season.

Curated by NYU College of Arts and Science’s Drew G. McKenzie, in association with NYU Steinhardt faculty Ann Chwatsky and NYU Wagner’s Frankie Crescioni-Santoni, this dynamic group exhibit features mixed-media works by nine emerging New York City artists: Jonathan Donaldson, Nick Etre, Graham Hamilton, Seth Hamlin, Alex LaLiberte, Drew G. McKenzie, Carolyn Park, Ken Q. Volk IV, and Jordan Walczak. An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, July 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, and is open to the public via RSVP at wagner.gallery@nyu.edu.

With boldness and a distinctive flair for the experimental, the artists contributing to Position of Conflict resorted to an eclectic array of traditional and unconventional materials to create pieces that explore the notion of duality and opposition and the ever-shifting relationship between artist and the institutions that frame and display art. Painting, drawing, sculptural installation, collage, and audio and video recording are among the mediums selected to explore such intriguing dichotomies as private/public, classical/contemporary, process/product, female/male, and artist/curator, to name a few. Reflecting upon these themes, as well as the art historical cannon, the show aims to utilize the vocalization of institutional paradigms to delve deeper into the evaluation of the responsibilities that art, artist, and gallery space occupy in society. Position of Conflict initiates a dialogue between artist and audience by calling on the authenticity of experience as a medium and by placing the artists’ processes and surroundings under an analytical lens.

Jonathan Donaldson holds a BFA in Studio Art from Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie New York; Nick Etre completed his BFA in Sculpture from NYU Steinhardt in May 2011; Graham Hamilton received his BFA in Studio Art with a minor in Art History from

NYU Steinhardt in May 2011; Seth Hamlin is currently in his senior year at NYU Steinhardt pursuing a BFA in Drama and he also maintains an Artist Residency with the Dershowitz Center for Pro-Israel Art; Alex LaLiberte graduated from the NYU College of Arts and Science with a BA in Philosophy in May 2011; Drew G. McKenzie is pursuing a BA in Art History with a concentration in Business at the NYU College of Arts and Science (BA 2012) while also interning at independent Curators International (iCI); Carolyn Park earned a BA with a double major in Art History and Latin American and Spanish Literature from the NYU College of Arts and Science this past May; Ken Q. Volk IV is a photographer and the recipient of a BA in History with a minor in Studio Art from the NYU College of Arts and Science; Jordan Walczak graduated from Minneapolis Community Technical College in 2009 with an AA in Photo and Digital Imaging.

Position of Conflict runs July 7 through August 31. The Gallery Space at Wagner is located on the 2nd floor of the Puck Building, at 295 Lafayette Street, corner of Houston Street (B/D/F/M trains to Broaway-Lafayette, 6 train to Bleecker, or N/R/W trains to Prince Street). Summer viewing hours are Monday–Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm and Fridays 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (closed Saturdays and Sundays). For more information, including adjusted holiday hours, please contact Frankie Crescioni-Santoni at 212.998.7400.

Press Contact

Robert Polner
Robert Polner
(212) 998-2337