Art

Success By Design For Sharon Wasko

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Sharon sitting at an outdoor picnic table with an open laptop that displays her website on the screen.

Sharon Wasko of Rosendale has taken off as a local web and graphic designer thanks to her time at SUNY Ulster learning web design skills. Recently the Blue Stone Press published an article about her success within the community. One of her professors published the print piece on his blog, you can read it here. Some of the classes she took include Graphic Design (Intro through III), Commercial Photography, and Web Design. She thanks her Web Design professor Dina Pearlman; for giving her the knowledge that has been instrumental in the launching of her website and career. Curious what this website looks like? Then give it a click!

SharonWasko.com

Logo with picture of glasses that states: Sharon Wasko Graphic Design
Logo from SharonWasko.com showcasing her love of teal and vintage ideas

It’s an online portfolio of her skills. Including but not limited to graphic & web design, photography, media layout, brand development and logo creation. In the Spring of 2018, she established her company Sharon Wasko Graphic Design, and created this site of her own. Now she has helped a few local companies to do the same. Since then, she’s gained a variety of colorful clients, mostly artists who have a professional passion that mirrors her own.

What’s She Up To Now?

While attending classes, Sharon holds a student aide position in the SUNY Ulster Marketing and Community Relations office. There she helps the webmaster to maintain, update, and add to the school’s main site, sunyulster.edu. She is also currently collaborating on an interactive site to display the school’s renovations. Capital projects, improvements to the school’s physical structures, have been followed and documented with photos. She is helping to create a site where all those improvements are fun and easy to view for all.

All those projects are just a side gig to her own thriving business as a freelance graphic designer. Her responsibilities and skills are ever-changing and evolving, as is natural with web based careers. Her already impressive portfolio is always growing.

A logo created by Sharon from her website

An Arts Education That Led To Web Design

Sharon has gotten her education in her own style. As a part of that she received her BFA before coming to our community college. Resulting in a degree from the College of New Jersey, formerly Trenton State College, with a concentration in painting and a minor in women’s and gender studies. She expressed that her time there differed greatly compared to a two year college. “It was a totally different experience, going to a residential 4-year school, but now there’s a more diverse group of students in my classes” said Sharon. SUNY Ulster’s community atmosphere provided her more freedom within her life. She has still managed to raise two young girls as she begins her business and continues to make it grow.

Another Student Success For The Books!

Among other students who have gone far with their time at SUNY Ulster. Sharon Wasko is now on the list. If you are interested in taking some of these courses, there is a degree program of classes. You can begin you associates degree in the field or just take a course or two, it’s up to you. Click here to learn more about this field and the classes offered.

How Making Art Affects You as a Student

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Brushes on a canvas covered in paint

“I don’t listen to what art critics say. I don’t know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is”.

~Jean-Michael Bassquiat
A piece of art where a woman's face is covered in color as she holds her face with her hands.

It’s the first thing to be underfunded and ignored in terms of educational value. Is this societal disregard for art justifiable? As a matter of fact, no. Having art programs present at educational institutions creates exciting places for learning and discovery. Research by the Americans for the Arts and Vans Custom Culture shows that low income students who are engaged in the arts are more than twice as likely to graduate college compared to their peers with no arts education, proving that creative classes as a part of your education can drastically increase your chances for success. Here’s how:

The Academic Boost of Art

As you can imagine, making art of any kind requires diligent focus and discipline. Which means the practice of turning creativity into a product is enhancing those skills. Focus and discipline are then going to transfer into other aspects of the artist’s life. For example, studying for a final exam is a bit easier when your brain has already been trained to have laser focus and not slack off.

A study on art in schools done in 2006 by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum study showed a link between arts education and improved literacy skills. During the study, students were working with an artist to make a masterpiece. They then developed better critical thinking skills. By pondering and discussing different pieces and works, these students were establishing vital life skills. This could then be applied to understanding and analyzing literary material later on in different situations.

Outside of School Benefits

hands reach over a desk to sketch an art drawing of a fashion design

Art can benefit you life in more ways than just in the classroom. Creativity can often act as a bridge between two people of different walks of life. All forms of art can help to significantly improve community cohesion. A study done in 2005 by the Rand Corporation showed that art can connect students. These students might otherwise be culturally isolated, to each other and to the world at large.

A study by Anna Bernadska & Kelly Leroux describes the impact of the arts on individual contributions to US civil society. According to which, among adults, arts participation is related to behaviors that contribute to the health of civil society. These contributions include increased civic engagement and greater social tolerance. Put simply, when you create things for others you’re getting more involved with your community. You’re also learning how to better understand and accept thoughts and opinions of others, even if they may not agree with your own.

A man sits at a computer making graphic designs, the desk also has a coffee and a mug of coffee sitting next to the computer.

Art Is Available To You Everywhere

SUNY Ulster offers several types of art degrees such as fashion or advertising design, theater, music, and fine arts. Learn more information on the programs SUNY Ulster offers here. If a full-fledged art degree is not for you, arts classes can be taken with any degree program. They would siply be classified as an elective during any one of your semesters at SUNY Ulster. The next semester coming up is Fall 2019, and there are plenty of art classes to be had, check it out on the website. Some people may even qualify for free tuition with the college scholars program.

Another Honorable Mention for One of Our Professors: Iain Machell

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Two trees stand in middle of the frame and are wrapped with paper that features prints if their bark. The paper extends out of the frame, as if rolling off the tree.

Iain Machell is one of many professors at SUNY Ulster that teaches and influences students with his artistic creativity and experience. SUNY Ulster is proud to have him on board! Machell was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and is currently a Professor of Studio Arts and formerly held the position of department chair of art, design, music, theatre, fashion, and communication and is now Co-ordinator of the Fine Art program.

Artist Iain Machell stands in front of a pencil drawing of what appears to be a ball of hay or twigs. He is smiling and holding a pencil.

This artist has been mentioned many times in various publications throughout his career; such as the New York Times, Saugerties Artists Tour, Chronogram, and more. One of his books can even be seen in the Museum of Modern Art/ Franklin Furnace/ Artist Book Collection. Most recently Machell was included as one of twelve skilled artists in a well known artist’s blog Vasari 21. Check out the fourth name on their “What is Drawing?” series part five, to see the shout out to this professor featuring his 2015 piece entitled “PEEL”, shown above.

Inspirations and Style

Machell creates what he calls “landscape interventions”
described as sculptures made of found materials like wood or stone that are removed from the natural environment. These things are altered in some way, often with text or signage from an unlikely source, and then replaced in the landscape. He also draws and paints other nature inspired creations in his home studio which could be said to represent the human impact on nature and vise versa. One site describes him as a Brit living in New York State’s Hudson Valley, who has been engaged in observing the battle between the human condition and the natural world for many years.

  • Not Again – 2006
  • Root Ball 31 – 2014
  • Sketch 17 – 2015
  • Sorry Not Sorry – 2005
  • Terra Interruptus 2 – 2012
  • Terra Interruptus 62 – 2013

Iain Machell’s drawings, book projects, paintings and sculptures  have been shown in galleries and institutions throughout the United States and United Kingdom notably The Drawing Center, The Sculpture Center and the Center for Book Arts in New York City and a handmade book is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art/Franklin Furnace/Artist Book Collection.

To find out more about this busy man or pick his brain, visit his website: iainmachell.com, his professor bio, or his open letter to all members of the arts community and Muroff-Kotler Art Gallery supporters. If you want to see him in action, watch a video of A Classroom Moment with Iain Machell – SUNY Ulster.

Start Your Creative Career with the SUNY Ulster Graphic Design Program

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Graphic Design students holding the bee brochures they designed

Are you a creative person? Do you dream of making money from your art or designs? If so, a degree in Graphic Design may be for you!

Perfect for traditional and adult students who are looking for more employment options or a career change, students can find themselves on a path to success when they start with the Advertising Design and Graphic Technology Program at SUNY Ulster, also known as the Real World Classroom.

The Real World Classroom is a unique opportunity for SUNY Ulster Graphic Design students. Each semester they are paired with local clients who are in need of design help. Recently, these classes have designed a brochure for the Ulster County Jewish Federation and created packaging for SOUL, a socially responsible coffee company supporting farmers in Rwanda. In addition to classroom work, students have the opportunity further their education in specific disciplines by participating in local internships.

Numerous graduates have transferred to four-year programs or gone directly on to employment within the fields of Print Media, Multimedia, Video, Web Design, and Illustration. Design careers combining graphic design and technology, including Video and 3D Printing, have become especially popular.

Students from a variety of backgrounds find a great fit in the Graphic Design program. SUNY Ulster student Sharon Wasko received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in the past. She came to SUNY Ulster after learning about the Real World Classroom, as she wanted directly employable skills with real clients. Graphic Design alumna Leanna White has had an exciting career since her 2012 graduation, designing album covers, patrol car wraps, and advertisements featured in magazines right after graduation.

No matter what stage of life you’re currently in, you have to take the first step to begin your career if you want to make a living doing what you love. For artists and designers, the Graphic Design Real World Classroom can be the perfect place to start.

SUNY Ulster’s Interactive Arts Timeline.

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art gallery wide view with many people talking in small groups

SUNY Ulster’s campus, much like the Hudson Valley itself, has served as a hub for both a historic and booming art scene. SUNY Ulster’s interactive timeline provides an intimate look at the lives of the artists that have visited SUNY Ulster’s campus since 1994.

Explore Our Interactive Timeline Here: https://www.sunyulster.edu/artstimeline.html

With assistance from  The Ulster Community College Foundation, INC., SUNY Ulster has been able to provide students and local residents exposure to different cultural and artistic expressions through programs like Words & Music, Herbert H. & Sofia P. Reuner Library Writers Series, Ellen Robbins Poetry Forum, Visiting Artist Series, and the Larry Berk Artist-In-Residence Series.

A Spotlight Of Artists Who Have Visited Us Through The Decades:

 

1994-Sharon Olds (Poet) 

An American poet. Olds has been the recipient of many awards including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award, and the first San Francisco Poetry Center Award in 1980.

1999- Mary Frank (Visual Artist) 

Born in London, England in 1933, Mary Frank moved to the United States with her family in 1940. Frank works across mediums as a sculptor, painter, photographer, and gifted ceramic artist.

 

2004- Gail Godwin ( Keynote Speaker Author and Visting Artist) 

Gail Godwin is a novelist and short story writer born in 1937 in Alabama. Gail attended St. Genevieve’s of the Pines, a Catholic school for girls, through the ninth grade. Her time in Catholic school inspired her novel, ‘Unfinished Desires’.

 

2007- Will Cotton (Painter) 

American painter, Will Cotton was born in 1965 in Massachusetts. In 1987 he earned his B.F.A. from the Cooper Union School of Art in NYC. His work primarily features landscapes composed of sweets, often inhabited by human subjects. In 2010, he notably served as the artistic director for Katy Perry’s music video “California Gurls,” and has painted several portraits of the singer.

 

2013- Diane Ackerman (Author) 

Diane Ackerman is the author of two dozen highly-acclaimed works of poetry and nonfiction, including New York Times bestsellers turned blockbuster film ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ which starred Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl in 2017.

 

2017-Okey Ndibe (Author) 

Okey Ndibe is the author of the novels “Never Look An American In The Eye: A Memoir of Flying Turtles”, “Colonial Ghosts”, and the making of a Nigerian American, “Foreign Gods, Inc.”, and “Arrows of Rain”, and co-editor (with Zimbabwean writer Chenjerai Hove) of “Writers Writing on Conflicts and Wars in Africa”.

 

Fun, Free Events at SUNY Ulster this Fall

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Ernie Shaw's Artwork

As the days grow shorter and colder, you may find yourself wondering what to do, especially if you’re on a budget. Good news: there’s always something enriching to enjoy and learn from at SUNY Ulster! The following is a list of upcoming events happening over the next few months that are open to students AND the community, so even if you’ve never been to SUNY Ulster before, you should come by!

New Immigrant & Refugee Visions: Screening and Discussion

Wednesday, September 26, 1:00 p.m.,
College Lounge, Vanderlyn Hall

This event features documentary films by immigrants from around the world who came to America, followed by an audience-led discussion of immigrant issues. Find out more about this series by visiting Community Supported Film’s site. You can also find more events like this one by checking out the Diversity page on our website.

Visiting Artist Andrew Zuckerman: A Message from the Exterior

Thursday, October 11 – Friday, November 2, Slide Lecture/Opening Reception: October 11, 7:00 p.m., College Lounge

Visiting Artist Andrew Zuckerman is an award winning photographer, filmmaker, and curator. Much of his work is concerned with the intersection of nature and technology. Zuckerman’s ongoing portrait practice utilizes both photography and filmed interview formats to examine human perspectives. With the support of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he released WISDOM in 2008 as a book, a feature length documentary film, and a global traveling exhibition. For this exhibition, Andrew will show a selection of works from his series “A Message from the Exterior,” an installation of photographic works from his continued investigation of the human relationship to the natural world.

The Art Force 5

Wednesday, October 24, 9:00 a.m.,
Student Life Center (Cafeteria)

The Art Force 5 uses the accessibility of art and the popularity of superheroes to explore issues of equality, violence, history, community, and empathy. The Art Force 5 is partnering with SUNY Ulster SGO, Multicultural Club, COIL, and Academic Travel to engage the community by inviting students and community members to paint one tile of a 250-piece mosaic tribute. The completed mosaic will be on display on the SUNY Ulster campus.

Annual Project Presentations for COIL

Thursday, October 25, 1:30 p.m.,
Burroughs Hall

For the past two years, SUNY Ulster has collaborated with students from Universidad de la Salle NoroEste from Obregon, Mexico. For a week in October, the students get a chance to meet face-to-face and work on presentations of their projects. This year, we open the doors to the SUNY Ulster community and the public to celebrate these student collaborations and to listen to their presentations.

Library Writers Series: Bruce Littlefield

Thursday, November 8, 1:15 p.m.,
College Lounge

Bruce Littlefield is a best-selling author, lifestyle expert, and an arbiter of American fun. He shares his passionate curiosity (and occasional mischievousness) through his books and TV appearances. Bruce has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC News, FOX News, MSNBC, The Rachael Ray Show, NPR, Sirius, and numerous other programs and publications.

Tropical Seas & First Forests – New York
400 Million Years Ago

Thursday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.,
College Lounge

A drive through the rocks of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains tells the history of New York long before the dinosaurs. Marine shells and coral reefs in the valley indicate an environment of shallow tropical seas. Fossil trees and strata of the Catskills record a history of some of Earth’s earliest forests and an Andes-scale mountain belt in New England. Time travel to a very different New York State with Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten of the New York State Museum. Part of the John Burroughs Natural Science Lecture Series.

Ernie Shaw: Form of Shadows

Friday, November 16 – Friday, December 14, Opening Reception: Friday, November 16, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Muroff Kotler Arts Gallery

Local resident Ernest Shaw will be exhibiting recent photography in his show, THE FORM OF SHADOWS. This exhibit is primarily focused on photography, a “new” medium in his 50 year career with sculpture, paintings, and drawings. The photographs integrate his lifelong concerns with mortality, the nature of the “self” and shadow, and the relentless search for integration and wholeness, particularly in the consequences of action and gestures, of moments and eons. These themes resonate with Shaw’s other career as psychiatrist, psychotherapist and long-time teacher of mindfulness meditation practices.

SUNY Ulster musicians performing a concert

Holiday Concert Series

WIND ENSEMBLE & PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE CONCERT
Tuesday, November 27, 7:30 p.m.

HONORS RECITAL
Friday, November 30, 3:00 p.m.

STRING ENSEMBLE CONCERT
Monday, December 3, 7:30 p.m.

COMMUNITY BAND & JAZZ ENSEMBLE CONCERT
Wednesday, December 5, 7:30 p.m.

CHORAL CONCERT & GUITAR ENSEMBLE CONCERT
Thursday, December 6, 7:30 p.m.

To see more of our events, visit our Calendar of Events page or pick up one of our special events brochures located around campus!

Faculty Achievements: Iain Machell, HEMLOCKS: THE BACKBONE OF THE CATSKILLS

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"Hemlock 1" by Iain Machell, pen and ink, graphite pencil on paper, 22" x 30"

Hemlock: The Backbone of the Catskills Exhibit
Hemlock: The Backbone of the Catskills Exhibit

HEMLOCKS: THE BACKBONE OF THE CATSKILLS is an informational and artistic exhibit celebrating the past, present and future of a quintessential Catskills’ species, the Eastern Hemlock, created by The Catskill Center andThe Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership.

Exhibition on view: November 10, 2014 through April 24, 2015
The Catskill Center, Rt. 28, Arkville NY 12406
845-586-2611
www.catskillcenter.org

https://www.facebook.com/events/791692290873634/?source=1

“The Catskill Center is dedicated to conservation in the Catskill Mountains and Catskill Park, and to creating opportunities for communities throughout the Catskill Region. Our unique balance of Regional Advocacy, Environmental Education, Promoting the Region, Arts & Culture programming, and Invasive Species work help to keep our region’s natural resources and communities vibrant.”