As the final week of classes approaches, we B.F.A.’s are struggling to accept that our semester is finally ending. All of the artist, studio, and gallery visits have proven to be immensely helpful in shaping the way we make and view art; resulting in a personal and artistic growth which cannot have occurred in any other place besides New York City. The amount of artwork and individuals we have seen and met has taught us more about art then we could have possibly imagined. Ranging from discussions about financial aspects to conceptual practices, the people we have met have been open and honest about all aspects of their careers and work. Here is a list to describe only a fraction of the remarkable individuals we have met over the course of the semester:
Holly Block, director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts
Eleanor Heartney, Art Critic
Tavares Strachan, artist
Matthew Higgs, artist and director of White Columns Gallery
Bill Carroll, Elizabeth Foundation Program Director
Rina Banerjee, artist
Brooke Davis Anderson, executive director of Prospect New Orleans
Jens Hoffman, deputy director and curator at The Jewish Museum
Jessica Morgan, director of Dia: Beacon
Michael Joo, artist
Michelle Lopez, artist
Simon Preston, curator and gallerist
Amy O’Neil, artist
Thomas Leeser, architect
Miguel Luciano, artist
Magdalena Magiera, co-curator at e-flux
Mark Di Suvero, artist and founder of Socrates Sculpture Park
Robert Melee, artist
Through the hard work and persistence of all of our professors – Jane Farver, Jane Benson, John Jurayj, and Masha Panteleyeva, we were able to hear all of these individuals kindly take the time to speak about their practices and answer any questions that we had. What resulted was a continuing dialogue between all of us about what it means to be an artist and to make art, especially in New York City.
On a more sentimental note, this semester has proven to be invaluable, inspiring, adventurous, and motivating. We have grown on our own, but also as a group and the bonds we have formed are eternal ones. After meeting with artist Michael Joo last week for Jane Farver’s class, we all went to Ikea for a group lunch. Later in the day, we visited the studio of our professor Jane Benson, and discussed the importance of museums while enjoying sweet treats – an occasion unforeseeable elsewhere. AAP in New York has been a bittersweet experience; we cannot forget the many times we have gotten lost in the middle of Brooklyn, or being crammed into a subway, or run out of funds for or Metrocards, nor can we forget walking along The High Line, or seeing the Statue of Liberty outside our windows, or seeing the new studio for the first time. New York, we will miss you.
