News New Art Prizes to Support, Celebrate Student Talent

Hartwick is pleased to announce two new art purchase prizes expected to not only celebrate student talent and encourage the display of student-made art on campus but also expand the College’s robust alumni art collection.

The prizes, the President Purchase Prize Award and the Academic Affairs Purchase Prize in Art, will be awarded to recipients whose artwork is identified by President Reisberg and Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty Laurel Bongiorno as being of special significance and worthy of a cash prize and prominent installation for a year. Each piece will then become part of Hartwick’s Alumni Art Collection.

“These two new awards allow us to champion the talent of our students more robustly,” said Reisberg. “Additionally, it allows us to provide practical support for our early career artists and diversify the College’s alumni collection.”

About the awards:

The President’s Purchase Prize, which carries a $500 award, will be presented to a senior whose work will be showcased in the Senior Thesis Show, which opens on Thursday, May 4. President Darren Reisberg will be invited to make his selection after the formal senior show critiquing period, which is scheduled for the week of May 11. The winner will be announced at the show’s closing reception on May 19, and their work will be showcased for a year in a place of prominence in the President’s office in Yager. 

The Academic Affairs Purchase Prize carries a $500 award and will be presented to a junior whose work emerges from the art faculty’s junior review critique process and is scheduled to be showcased in the Junior Review Show. Vice President Bongiorno will review all submissions and make her selection, which will be announced at the show’s opening reception on April 13. The winning work will be showcased in the Academic Affairs suite in Bresee Hall for a year.

“Our students are exceptionally talented and I can’t wait to see what they have created,” said Bongiorno. “I applaud all of our art faculty for nurturing and encouraging student talent – their dedication to our students’ artistic growth will make selecting a winner really tough!” 

After the yearlong showcase period, both pieces will be added to the Hartwick College Alumni Collection, which is managed by Sydney Sheehan, gallery and exhibitions coordinator. The extensive collection, which celebrates generations of Hartwick talent, includes hundreds of pieces, both 2D and 3D work. And long after students graduate, their creative talent continues to grace high-traffic zones around campus, including in the Stevens-German Library, John Christopher’s Café’, the Anderson Center for the Arts and Clark Hall. 

This summer works from the collection will also be featured in a special Forman Gallery of Art exhibit.