BMCC Student Artists Present “Year in Review”

An exhibit showcasing the work of more than 200 BMCC students, Year in Review: Student Art Show, opens with a reception on Wednesday, April 6 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Shirley Fiterman Art Center on the first floor of BMCC’s Fiterman Hall, 81 Barclay Street in Lower Manhattan.

“It’s important to see reflected in a professional setting, the skills, ideas and creativity of our first wave of art majors as well as the artwork of talented students in other disciplines at BMCC,” says Chair of the Shirley Fiterman Art Center Faculty Committee and coordinator of the show, Professor of Art Sarah Haviland.

The show includes art in a wide range of media and formats. “The work produced at BMCC by students is of much higher quality than people might realize,” says Alizabeth Towery, a Deputy Chair of the Music and Art Department at BMCC. “They take producing art very seriously, having already spent many years making images either in school or on their own and hoping to continue it professionally whether by transferring to a four-year school in art, or some other outlet.”

The experience of being in a public exhibit benefits BMCC student artists in a number of ways. “I’ve been in art shows before, but this is special!” says Liberal Arts major Seohyun Kim. Fellow Liberal Arts major Tenzin Yulo adds, “I appreciate the recognition from professors.” Martin Bengtsson, who is majoring in Art Foundations Drawing, says, “It’s great to be selected to exhibit among so many talented students.”

The students come with skills they have developed on their own, or by having attended a high school of art and design, says Towery. “Some are coming from other countries where they’ve studied art and design. It’s a real range.”

Music and Art Deputy Chair Simon Carr says, “The student art show gives the department a chance to not just show off the work of our talented students, but to give the wider college community, and the public in general, a chance to see what we consider the most important elements of our Art Foundation Studio program. The developing skills and talents of the students give a sense of what the future holds for them, as they transfer to four-year art programs.”

The exhibit will extend through May 7, and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. For more information, call (212) 776-6237.