Gallatin Arts Festival 2015

April 13-17, 2015

Download the 2015 Gallatin Arts Festival Catalog here.

Producers’ Statement

“The performances in the 2015 Gallatin Arts Festival demonstrate the intersectionality of our time, our school, our society, and ourselves. Through interdisciplinary conversations that span many topics—from gentrification to historical romances—and performance mediums—from video games to flamenco—Gallatin artists create a dynamic demonstration of how performance interacts with our lives. The diversity of work in this year’s festival is a testament to the Gallatin community’s inherent array of interests and skills. The work presented in the festival not only displays the abilities of Gallatin students, but also reflects the community’s curiosity in the voices of others and the intersections between art and social change. Gallatin artists not only depict the world around them, but they also scrutinize it and spark interest for discussion and action. Our artists critically engage with the way these issues have been presented and analyzed in the past and add fresh, innovative perspectives to the debate. Our artists use their mediums as a lens through which the world can be seen in a new light. Using art to stimulate discussion on topics such as sexual identity, modes of leadership, and racial politics, the artists creatively navigate our rapidly changing cultural landscape. We have assembled an array of pieces that both express and challenge the way that the arts can make an impact on the audiences who are such a crucial part of this process. A performance is not complete without the audience, therefore we invite you to engage with these works as a part of the conversations they are creating. Witnessing performance is a gateway to new experiences, and this is where enacting change begins. We hope you enjoy the performances!”

– Sarah Flamm (’16), Alex Hansen (’16), Eliza Lambert (’17), and Eleanor Weeks (’15), Producers

Curators’ Statement

“The 2015 Gallatin Arts Festival guides us through emotional, physical, and virtual spaces. In the expanse of globalization and the seemingly infinite Internet, we face a unique challenge of relating to ourselves, to others, and to our surroundings. How do we represent the self, how do we share our personal experiences, and how do we navigate the global domain? Each visual artist approaches these questions from distinct points of view and points of reference. For many artists in this year’s festival, the self is discovered through artistic creation. From traditional portraiture to digital collage, these artists seek to understand their personalities and modes of self-representation through the act of making. At a time when we can easily curate our self-image, we can also become aware of the ways we perform our identities. These artists find inspiration in secrets, depression, and elation. The digital has increasingly replaced the physical in social interactions. From Facebook to Twitter to Tinder, how do we connect and communicate in cyberspace? Who are we on the Internet and how do we reconcile our daily identities with our online personae? The presence of sharing platforms allows us to document our everyday lives with ease and many of these Gallatin artists ask how this new technology affects truth and intimacy.

These questions of identity and truth expand through works that ask how one fits within their home and within their culture. How does a home shape its inhabitants, and how does one form the idea of home? Home may mean intimacy or creating relationships between groups of people and their environment. Within an intercontinental context, “home” can point to multiple locations. Discounted airline tickets, study abroad programs, and international rental homes blur the local and the global. In this interconnected world, how do we perceive the “other,” and how do we recognize our own role as other? Some artists seek to record these cross-cultural interactions, while others process the shifts in their identity as it interacts with non-native cultures. They emphasize exchange, not taking, as they seek to respect the boundaries of travel and culture. Whether through photography, film, painting, or sculpture, the artists of this year’s festival apply their creative work to the questions posed both to them and by them. We hope the Gallatin Arts Festival encourages new approaches to these problems. We invite you to engage with the artwork and, through it, the artists of Gallatin.”

– Bridget Casey (’15), Carolyn Concepcion (MA ’15), Haley Gaston (’15), and Catherine Meagan Rust (MA ’15), Curators

Portrait of young black man holding up his left fist in a theater.

A girl looks at a glowing mannequin that is wrapped in wire and hanging from a wall.

Projected black & white image of black woman holding sign stating "#WeCan'tBreathe"

Students gazing at artwork on wall opposite from camera's perspective. Wall in view has various prints displayed on wall.

Students talking and occupying gallery space while one woman attempts to operate projector.

Young white man gazes at artwork on wall which is various zines pined to the wall.

Young gentleman smiles as listening to audio art work.

A girl wearing a backpack looks at a wall with printed paper and yarn

Two figures sit on a bench in a dark room. They look up at a projection of a video.

Two students, one male and one female, analyze zine artwork on wall.

Gallery wall: four paintings of various perspectives of female bodies.

Gallery space: various people working together to help install artwork on the walls.

Two students gaze and engage with artwork.

Two young men gaze at artwork in gallery space

A girl sits on the floor of an art gallery. She is surrounded by people watching her knit.

A group of people look out through a window at the camera. Text on the window reads "Gallatin Arts Festival"

A large group of people pose for a photo.

Artists:

Allison Arkush, John Belknap, Kai Cameron, Vanessa Castro, Rachel Davies, Alexandria Ethridge, Haley Gaston, Cassidy George, Jake Gianaris, Jacqueline Harriet Grossbard, Nicolas Gutierrez, Zoey Hart, Andrew Harvey, Kalliopi Karakasidou, Jihan Kikhia, Deborah Kim, Sonya Kozlova, Olivia Latney, Parissah Lin, Alexandra Ling, Daniel Mekss, Rebecca Pecaut, Luke Smithers, Rowan Spencer, Meredith Stein, Giovanna Sundqvist-Olmos, Charles Tiseth, Izel Villarba, Brendan Ward, Tianyu Yang, Elaine Young, Serena Adlerstein, Sarah Barry, Genevieve Beaudoin, Madi Bisharat, Tommy Craven, Elizabeth Curtis, Christopher Dehn, Johanna Duk, Alexandra Hansen, Jessica Harris, Alice Lambert, Summer Luk, Matthew Moen, Katie Ostrowski, Connor Sedlacek, Sasha Sharova, Jake Strauss

Student Leadership Team, Faculty and Staff:

Bridget Casey, Carolyn “CC” Concepcion, Haley Gaston, Catherine Meagan Rust, Sarah Flamm, Alex Hansen, Eliza Lambert, Eleanor Weeks, Jasmin Agosto, Anna Robertson, Kristin Horton, Keith Miller, Katya Mezhibovskaya

Photographer:

Jesse Dittmar

About the Gallatin Arts Festival:

MISSION

The Gallatin Arts Festival is a week-long, community-wide celebration of the unique artistry and interdisciplinary scholarship of students at NYU’s Gallatin School. The festival features student work in the visual and performing arts and serves as a galvanizing force and springboard for action and discussion through the creation and presentation of artistic work.

HISTORY

The Gallatin Arts Festival originated in 1992 as a collaborative effort between Professor Laurin Raiken and graduate student Barry Spanier. Under Professor Raiken’s guidance, Spanier developed the festival as part of his master’s thesis. Since then GAF has expanded into the largest public event sponsored by the Gallatin School. GAF provides hands-on opportunities for students to gain knowledge of the process required to produce a multidisciplinary arts festival. Under guidance from members of the arts faculty and student affairs, the Student Leadership Team serves as the primary support for the festival. GAF is a learning experience emphasizing the development of ideas and collaborative innovation.