The Art Education Student Association opened an exhibition for Art Education students to show their work On Nov. 3. The show was open Monday Nov. 4 through Friday Nov. 7, and was located in the rotunda of the Fine Arts Building.
The opening reception on Monday night began at 7 p.m. Light refreshments were served and attendees were able to get first look at what students have been working on in their art courses.
Abigail Comisky, a fourth-year visual arts education student was among those sharing work in the show. Comisky has used her required art courses to mostly focus on ceramics. She is currently doing an independent study for ceramics.
Comisky said the exhibit was an opportunity to see what others in her major have been working on in their art practice, since they are usually working independently in their respective studios.
Comisky said she appreciates how involved in the process of fine arts she is able to get as an art education student. “[New Paltz is] one of, if not the only, school with an art education program that is housed within the art school. So it really prioritizes your art making and makes sure that you are skilled at what you are teaching,” Comisky said. She cites this as the main reason for choosing to attend New Paltz.
Comisky says the art show was a bittersweet experience, as it marks her time in the program coming to an end – her and many of her fellow classmates will be leaving to start their student teaching elsewhere.
Fourth-year art education student Bernice DeLaura also shared her work in last week’s exhibit. “Everyone’s work looked amazing and it was great to see work that my peers have been doing in their studio classes,” DeLaura said. “As art education majors, we don’t get a culminating show like a BFA or a visual art major, so this was a great opportunity for us to show our work to other students outside of our classes.”
DeLaura also said that the New Paltz art education program was a main factor in her decision to come to the school. “My group has had a bit of a chaotic run with the program with the loss of our advisor and the head of the art ed department going on sabbatical, but I believe that we are all very strong students and will be great teachers,” DeLaura said.
Every art education major takes part in Saturday Arts Lab or SAL, where kids ages 4-15 from the New Paltz community are invited onto campus to take classes taught by the advanced art ed students. SAL gives kids opportunities to create art and allows the art education majors experience working with kids and teaching.