Scholars-in-Residence at NYU Return to Exhibit City-inspired Art Five artists of color who were scholars-in-residence at New York University will hold an exhibition at the Cinque Gallery to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Faculty Resource Network, the NYU-based program that afforded them studio and study time in New York City. The exhibit, “Artists in the City: The Legacy of the Faculty Resource Network,” includes some 20 works. It will be mounted at Soho’s Cinque Gallery - renowned as a showcase for artists of color - and will be open from June 7 to July 7.
The works selected by the artists reflect inspiration they drew from their time in New York City as scholars-in-residence at NYU through the Network. Emphasizing the faculty development nature of the Network programs, the show will also include a videotape of works by students of the five artists.
The Faculty Resource Network at NYU is a faculty development program serving 30 small and medium-sized liberal arts colleges, including 13 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU’s). Since its establishment in 1984, the network has provided some 3,500 educators and scholars with an opportunity to attend colloquia, study in their disciplines, pursue research, and forge relationships with peers from fellow institutions through a range of different programs, all free-of-charge. The Network is supported by NYU and the other member institutions, as well as private and government funding.
Artists who participate in the Network as scholars-in-residence spend a term during the academic year or a month during the summer making use of uninterrupted studio time, plus availing themselves of the opportunity to study with New York artists and make use of New York’s cultural and artistic resources.
“Artists in the City” is expected to dovetail with another major exhibit of art from HBCU collections, “To Conserve a Legacy,” which is on display at the Studio Museum in Harlem. A panel discussion featuring the “Artists in the City” group will be held at the Studio Museum on June 3, 1999.
Dr. L. Jay Oliva, president of NYU, said, “NYU’s involvement in the Network over these 15 years has been one of the proudest and most enriching associations I can think of for this University. This partnership has touched so many educators and scholars, and the benefits to the students of these faculty members have been significant.
“I can think of no better way to celebrate this enterprise than with an exhibition of art by program participants. The fundamental nature of the program - the chance for faculty to develop their skills and improve themselves as teachers - is perfectly demonstrated in this set of works by HBCU faculty and students.”
Debra James, senior vice president of NYU, said, “Through the beautiful works in this exhibit, one will be able to witness the creative journeys these artists have made. What comes through above all are the links they share, their deep and abiding humanity, and their ability to represent the richness of life and its possibilities through the various media of visual art.”
Adrienne Klein, curator of the exhibition, said, “New York has the cultural institutions and art community that make an artist’s residency here valuable. Beyond that, NYU has offered the finest opportunity an artist could desire: uninterrupted time to work. Now we can view the results. Some of the work is inspired by New York, while some of it is informed by ideas and experiences far from city life. I’m pleased to be part of this project.”
The five artists showcased are:
Arthur L. Bacon, a professor of biology, provost and vice-president for academic affairs at Talladega College in Alabama. His dignified portrayals of workers and family groups depict the people and places of the rural south.
Louis Delsarte, a member of the associate faculty of Morris Brown College in Atlanta and an adjunct professor at Spelman College. He produces figurative works on a range of themes; jazz music has had an early and enduring influence on his work. His recent commissions include Transitions, a 120-foot long mosaic mural scheduled to be installed in Brooklyn’s Church Avenue subway station for the D and Q lines in the spring of 2000.
Arturo Lindsay, associate professor of art and art history at Spelman College in Atlanta. His scholarship on the spiritual traditions of Latin America and his interest in multi-media installation combine to produce theatrical tableaux that explore African spiritual and aesthetic elements retained in contemporary American cultures.
Marcelo Novo, a former art instructor at Benedict College in Columbia, SC. He creates paintings, drawings, and prints which embrace the concept of “automatism.” His work combines symbols and archetypes in colorful pencil drawings and monochrome prints.
Charles Rogers, an associate professor of art at Johnson C. Smith University. His canvasses make use of bold, sectioned geometric forms that transform into stylized figures. Many of his paintings are based on drawings he made on site during jazz performances at the Village Gate nightclub in Greenwich Village.
The show is being curated by Adrienne Klein, an independent curator who has taught on the art faculty of the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. Her sculpture and video installations have been exhibited in the U.S. and the U.K.
The opening of the show coincides with the start of Network Summer, the month-long program of seminars and residencies that bring faculty from Network institutions together with faculty from leading research universities in a diverse range of disciplines. This year’s summer program, which will involve over 200 visiting faculty members, will include seminars on environmental science; ethics in science; race, law and religion; K-12 teacher education; freedom and slavery in the classical world; Black feminist thought; American history in the international and global context; and large-scale ritual and theater performance.
Other programs include extended scholar-in-residencies, regional colloquia, and national symposia, and student and faculty exchanges.
New York University is one of the largest private universities in the U.S., and it has the largest population of international students of any U.S. college or university. Based in New York City’s historic Greenwich Village, NYU has some 13 colleges and schools that conduct cutting-edge research and provide education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, dentistry, business, nursing, education, the cinematic and performing arts, social work, and public service and administration, among other areas.