The original WCSU MFA artwork will be on display in the New York Art Gallery from June 21 to July 9
Western Connecticut State University’s 2022 Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition will have a second exhibition from June 21 to July 9 in New York City at the Blue Mountain Gallery, 547 West 27 St., Suite 200. A reception of opening will take place on Thursday, June 23, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The gallery is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday. The reception and exhibit are sponsored by WCSU’s Department of Art. The exhibit was previously open at The Gallery at the university’s Visual and Performing Arts Center and is supported by the Jason and Ellen Hancock Student Endowment Fund at Western Connecticut State University.
The MFA Thesis Exhibition is the sum of two years of intensive, creative study and in-depth interactions with resident faculty and visiting artists. The Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts is the preferred degree for the practicing artist preparing for a professional career in the visual arts. MFA degrees are available in painting, illustration, and interdisciplinary visual art. The MFA Thesis Exhibition is the flagship experience of the graduate program, demonstrating personal direction and mastery of the artists’ work. Four graduate students presented their thesis work and are featured in the exhibition:
Janelle Chandler is an illustrator based in New Haven County. In 2019, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration from Western Connecticut State University and recently completed her Masters in Visual Arts, Illustration. She is currently enrolled in the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma Program in the UK. Chandler is a member of several artist organizations, including American Woman Artists, American Botanical Society of Artists, and Colored Pencil Society of America. In 2020 his work was selected for an international juried exhibition at the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, England. His website is https://jchandlerartistry.com/.
Kelsey Gilmore is originally from Northport, New York, and currently resides in Bethel. Her artistic practice includes paintings, works on paper and prints. She earned her BBA in Marketing from Iona College in 2017 and worked in running a design and product development business with a shoe designer before earning her MFA in Visual Arts, Painting, at WCSU. Her work can be seen on Instagram at @kelseygilmorestudio.
Don Houston grew up in Tampa, Florida and has lived in New Haven County since 2011. He attended a summer program at Ringling School of Art and received his Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Maritime College in 2009 before moving to earning her MFA in Visual Arts, Painting, at WCSU. His work can be viewed @Don.Houston.art.
