The art gallery opens the season with an exhibition featuring a variety of animated films
Sasho Danylenko, still from “TNMK – The History of Ukraine in 5 Minutes”, 2020, cut-out stop-motion animated film
“Independent Motion: Twelve Animated Films from Around the World,” will be the opening exhibition of the 2022-23 season of the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery at SUNY Fredonia.
This is an original exhibition coordinated by the Marion Art Gallery and curated by Yvonne Grzenkowicz, founder and executive director of Animation Nights New York (ANNY). It opens on August 30 and closes on October 9. The public is invited to meet the artists (virtually) and the curator (in person) at a reception on Friday, September 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. Prior to the reception, Grzenkowicz will give an illustrated talk on the exhibition at McEwen Hall Room 209 at 4 p.m.
The conference, exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
“Across all styles and mediums, successful animation combines movement, clarity, timing, and design to create the illusion of life. It can entertain us, inform us, and even inspire us to consider our own place in the universe,” Grzenkowicz said, “Animation is as much a study of humanity as it is a study of technique. It is both observation and keyframe. These 12 animated pieces each contain moments of reflection on elements of the human condition while simultaneously carrying us away with art.
The exhibition presents 2D, 3D, stop-motion and virtual reality animation films by: Remus Buznea and Kyriaki Kyriakou (UK), Igor Ćorić (Serbia), Sashko Danylenko (Ukraine/USA), Nelson Fernandes (Portugal/Spain), Carol Freeman (Ireland), Matisse Gonzalez (Bolivia/Germany), Emily Hubley (USA), Bas Jansen (Netherlands), Joe Loftus (Ireland), Carol Silverman (USA), Rory Waudby-Tolley (UK) and Jie Weng (China).
All artists participated in Animation Nights New York (ANNY), a monthly organized screening event and annual festival in New York City that features animated shorts, virtual reality animation experiences, and games from the whole world.
Grzenkowicz is a New York-based animator and interactive designer with experience in short films, feature films, commercials, music videos, digital publishing, video games, live visuals and interactive websites. She has extensive character animation training and a background in fine art, and is also co-owner of “Animation for Adults”, a US and UK based podcast and website for animation enthusiasts. She attended the University of Georgia and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston for painting and drawing.
“Independent Motion: Twelve Animated Films from Around the World” is generously supported by the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities of the Fredonia College Foundation, the Cathy and Jesse Marion Endowment Fund, and the Carl J. Nordell Endowment Fund. A publication is available free of charge at the art gallery. To request a publication or to schedule a group visit, contact Barbara Räcker, Director of the Marion Art Gallery, by email at barbara.racker@fredonia.edu or call (716) 673-4897.
The Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery is located on the main level of the Rockefeller Arts Center on the Fredonia campus at 280 Central Avenue. Gallery hours are: Tuesday-Thursday 12-4 p.m., Friday-Saturday 12-6 p.m., and Sunday 12-4 p.m. The exhibition is open during regular hours during the fall holidays.
