B.F.A. Senior Exhibition

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Messages of Congratulations

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Tonya M. Cribb, Director, Plattsburgh State Art Museum

As the director of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum, it is my pleasure to congratulate our graduating seniors participating in the annual B.F.A. Senior Thesis Show. This exhibit is the capstone and culmination of the creative efforts of graduating students from the SUNY Plattsburgh art department. Each of these young artists have faced the most unique and harrowing challenges posed by the pandemic for the last two years, yet they have persevered and overcome each obstacle to present the dynamic work you see in this exhibit. 

Art is a dynamic and creative gateway for students to gain an understanding of the world around them. Over the course of the year, students are expected to write a proposal and produce a body of work that investigates an idea or set of concerns that are meaningful to them. These students have excelled in their respective concentrations to share the work you see here. Each project represents a personal experience that translates what the artist sees and feels into a concrete form.

This year’s exhibition features an inspiring array of works, including sculpture, drawings, printmaking, painting, photography, and graphic design. Despite the differences in media and content, each artist gives visual life to their ideas of what art and the world look like. In addition to student artworks on display, this catalogue, other exhibit and promotional materials are completely student designed and executed, representing a mastery of conceptual and applied skills.

The Plattsburgh State Art Museum welcomes you to join us in celebrating the academic and artistic achievements of the graduating class of 2023. It is my hope that the college and North Country communities will join me in applauding their remarkable achievements. We are delighted to present this body of work to you in person this year.

Ali Della Bitta & Peter Russom, Art Department Chairs

The B.F.A. exhibition is the capstone experience for each of the artists represented. It is the culmination of our students’ undergraduate education and years of study in the studio and classroom. Their diligence and perseverance in developing a sophisticated visual language has culminated in creating a cohesive body of work. The range and quality of this tremendous exhibition demonstrates the dedication of each participant to hone the conceptual and formal properties within their art.

The faculty of the art department extends its gratitude to the director and staff of the Plattsburgh State Art Museum. The professionalism, support, and guidance they have generously given to the students throughout this academic year has been exceptional.

The SUNY Plattsburgh art department congratulates our students and invites the college and community to share in celebrating their impressive achievement.

Dr. Meg Pearson, Dean, School of Arts & Sciences

The rigors of a B.F.A. degree may be compared to the kilns in which some artists fire their work: a blaze of creative energy and heat which tests the limits of the creation while strengthening its structure. These students have been similarly tested by fire: surviving a pandemic, negotiating the changed world of higher education, thinking and trying and failing and learning and trying again to discover and hone their artistry. Thankfully they have had extraordinary guides on this journey: the gifted artists, teachers, and mentors in the art department and the Plattsburgh State Art Museum.

The result of these students’ artistic endeavors, the B.F.A. Senior Exhibition, invites the Plattsburgh campus and community to witness both the culmination of study and a preview of wonderful careers. We are fortunate as a community to have such access to these artists’ visions and artifacts, and I am thankful for the teachers and mentors who guided them to this achievement. You all have set these young people on an exciting and fulfilling path. I hope you, the reader, enjoy the efforts of these students and similarly appreciate what a blessing it is to have art in our world and here at our fingertips.