Alumnus Featured in ‘SUNY Pride’ Exhibition

A SUNY Plattsburgh 2019 BFA grad had contributed one of his works to the exhibit, “Pride in Bloom,” on display through November in the first floor gallery of the H. Carl McCally SUNY Building in Albany.

Arnold Barretto, a 2019 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence award winner from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is one of two alumni and five current SUNY students to have been invited to submit works, which “express the joy of self-discovery, finding acceptance, friendship and love in the LGBTQ+ communities on SUNY campuses,” according to Jennifer Laursen, senior fellow for arts and humanities at the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Barretto’s work, “Catch Me,” is a three-block-print “that vibrates with joy,” Laursen said.

The SUNY Plattsburgh alumnus was previously represented at the Rockefeller Institute during a 2019-2020 SUNY-wide exhibit in which he had three works on display, a monotype print, “Untitled,” and two photos, “I Heart NY #1,” and “Timeless Charm #1.”

Barretto, who majored in studio art, was a champion for the arts on campus. He chaired the Campus Arts Council, the Art Acquisition Board, which is responsible for deciding which artworks the Student Association purchases for the campus, a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society, and served as the SA vice president of the arts, among other activities.

A transfer student from SUNY Geneseo, Barretto chose SUNY Plattsburgh for a number of reasons, he said when graduating, among them its affordability and resources. He said he found the college to be “a strong and vibrant community that has helped me grow a lot.”

For more information on “SUNY Pride,” visit https://www.suny.edu/pride/ or contact Laursen at 518-445-4161.