Surface Tension Thesis Show

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© Jaime Permuth

This Wednesday will see me at the opening of my SVA student's thesis show. The students have worked long and hard over the past year and now they get to strut their stuff. Old friend and all around sweetheart Dan Halm has curated a thought provoking show.

Here are the details:

Surface Tension
An exhibition of thesis work from the 2009 graduating class of the
MPS Digital Photography Department at the School of Visual Arts.

October 21 to November 14
SVA Gallery
209 East 23 Street
New York, NY

Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 21, 6 to 8 pm

School Daze

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A high school graduate and friend in Baku, Azerbaijan © James Pomerantz

Photojournalist and newly minted graduate student James Pomerantz has launched a blog, A Photo Student, where he promises to detail all of his ups and downs during his first year in the MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media department at the School of Visual Arts.

As many of you may know I love to gush about the SVA. I graduated from the program in 2006 and I credit the experience with helping me rethink my work and approach to photography. And it has produced many stellar artists including Ofer Wolberger, Shen Wei, Alix Smith, Alejandra Laviada and Matthew Pillsbury.

In addition to blogging about life in an MFA program, James will be featuring interviews with famous alums (call me, James), students at other schools, and professors.

James just posted his class schedule and his first year lineup includes two of my favorite professors: lighting guru, Chris Callis, and the fantastically talented, Penelope Umbrico. He's also posted the summer reading list for incoming students. It includes some old familiar texts and few new ones (at least to me).

So if you want the grad school experience--but don’t want the debt--be sure to follow James’ progress during his first year.

Inaugural MPS Digital Photography Thesis Show

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Tonight is the opening reception of Seamless, the inaugural thesis show of the MPS Digital Photography program at the School of Visual Arts.

In one year, department chair Katrin Eismann has made this program one of the best digital photography programs in the country. For evidence of Katrin's wisdom, you need look no further than her sage decisions to hire me as a teacher in the program and let the fabulously talented Dan Halm curate the thesis show.

Here are the details:

Seamless
Visual Arts Gallery
October 23 - November 15, 2008
601 West 26 Street, 15th floor
New York, NY
Opening Reception: Tuesday, October 28, 6-8pm

Stop by and check out the thesis work of these very talented grads. You can also buy an exhibition catalogue for the show at Blurb.

2008 SVA Alumni Auction Tonight

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Cuttings © Amy Stein

If you are in New York tonight and you love the sound of gavels, make your way over to the Visual Arts Gallery for the 2008 School of Visual Arts Alumni Society Auction. They will be honoring Lynda Benglis, Gregory Crewdson and Lorna Simpson and auctioning off a boatload of great work by SVA alumni, faculty, mentors and friends. For more information or to purchase tickets go here.

Here are the details:

SVA Alumni Society Auction
Tuesday, September 23, 6-9pm
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY

But The Good News Is...

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© Anneke Joris

The wonderful image above was created by Anneke Joris. Anneke sent me a nice note and said she was inspired by my photo, Howl. I love that someone in Belgium can see my work online and be moved to create their own fantastic piece of art. Thank you Interweb!

Darius Himes reminds me about the Blurb photo book competition, Photography Book Now. Photo books have never mattered more to an artist and even if you don't win it would be wise to get your work in front of such a solid lineup of jurors.

Teaching © Alison Malone

In other art news, the 2008 School of Visual Arts MFA Photo, Video and Related Media thesis show opens today at the Visual Arts Gallery. It's another great year and a great opportunity to see young talent before they hit it big. Keep an eye out for Allison Kaufman's very moving Dancing With Divorced Men piece and Alison Malone's ethereal The Daughters of Job.

SVA in the Mother F'n House

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Untitled, 2004 (#3) © Thomas Holton

At least once a week I get an email from a photographer asking me if they should apply to the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography program. My answer is always yes and I give a host of reasons why they should consider the school including the facilities, the faculty and the location. The best reason I can give, however, is the amazing work and success of the people who have been through program.

Today I opened the latest edition Photograph Magazine and it seemed like an SVA yearbook. Besides my own show currently at Paul Kopeikin, thank you very much, there were full and two-page ads for upcoming solo shows by fabulous SVA grads Thomas Holton, JeongMee Yoon and Matthew Pillsbury. Throw in Shen Wei, Katie Kingma, Daniel Traub and Domingo Milella being named to PDN's 30 list and you are talking about a red letter week for the School of Visual Arts MFA program.

Here are the details on these upcoming must-see shows:

Thomas Holton, The Lams of Ludlow Street
Sasha Wolf Gallery
New York, NY
March 6 - April 26

JeongMee Yoon, The Pink & Blue Project
Jenkins Johnson Gallery
New York, NY
March 6 - April 26

Matthew Pillsbury, Elapsed
Bonni Benrubi Gallery
New York, NY
April 3 - May 31

I will be at Sasha Wolf tonight for Thomas' opening and at Jenkins Johnson on Saturday for JeongMee's opening. See you there.

UPDATE: The always fabulous Rachel Dunville reminded me of another upcoming show by an SVA MFA grad. Shai Kremer's solo show at Julie Saul Gallery opens April 10.

Silas H. Rhodes

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Last Wednesday the world lost a truly wonderful man and one of the great innovators of arts education, Silas H. Rhodes. I knew Silas as the co-founder of the School of Visual Arts, but his accomplishments inspired far beyond the walls of the college he helped create in 1947. He was a visionary, a creative, a champion for social justice, and a tireless supporter of the arts and free expression. Silas has passed, but the imprint left by his considerable life will continue to excite and influence for generations to come.

Newly Released

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© Dina Kantor

'Twas but a year ago I was scrambling to get my prints ready for the 2006 thesis show. Time does fly. The 2007 version of the School of Visual Arts MFA thesis show promises to deliver more hot photo talent.

2007 SVA MFA Thesis Show
Opening Reception: Tuesday, June 19, 6 - 8 p.m.
Visual Arts Gallery
601 West 26th Street, 15th floor
New York, NY

See you at the opening.

School of Visual Arts MFA Football Rules!

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Photo illustration by Suellen Parker for The New York Times

10 a.m. on a Saturday morning usually finds me stumbling to the front door with coffee in hand to pick up the Saturday edition of the New York Times. The ritual is that by now I have already read the headlines online, so the actual paper is more about looking at the photos in the New York Times Magazine.

This morning I was pleased to see Suellen Parker's work on the cover and a photo by Matthew Pillsbury displayed on the inside. Now, I'm not a big school spirit person—I never went to any of the SVA's football games or pep rallies—but I immediately welled up with something approximating pride. I thought to myself, Suellen and Matthew are from the same MFA year. At the SVA. How perfectly awesome is that? Our little school tucked away in the tiny hamlet of New Amsterdam continues to turn out the big time talent.

Hey Yalies! Where ya at?

© Robbie Cooper

Also in this week's NYT Magazine is a great portraiture series, Alter Ego, by Robbie Cooper that juxtaposes photos of gamers with their avatars. Robbie's take on the subject of online/offline duality reminded me a little of Stephen Miller's Internet & Identity series, only taken to the next level.

UPDATE: Interesting video piece of Suellen Parker discussing her process.