SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS PRESENTS “MENTORS”

WORKS BY EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS GUIDED BY LEADERS IN THE FIELD

March 18 – April 2, 2011
Reception: Thursday, March 24, 6 – 8pm  
Visual Arts Gallery

New York, March 7, 2011 -- School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Mentors,” an exhibition of works by over 65 BFA Photography Department students inspired by their mentorships with key figures in the arts community. Drawn from the ranks of New York City’s best-known photographers, curators, art directors, publishers, art dealers, critics and writers, SVA’s mentors are paired with students based upon their field of expertise and the student’s area of concentration. The 2010 – 2011 program mentors include artists Tim Hetherington, Laurel Nakadate, Alec Soth and Phillip Toledano, among others.

The Mentors program at SVA was established in 1992 to introduce new talent to the New York City arts community and to cultivate relationships between established and emerging artists. Stephen Frailey, chair of the BFA Photography Department and curator of the exhibition, explains, “In working with our mentors, our students have the chance to move beyond the classroom and into the New York photography community, and to be further energized and grow as professional photographers.”

The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 West 26 Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For further information, please call 212.592.2145.

The BFA Photography Department at SVA offers students a full range of options in the study of photography: commercial, fine art, fashion and documentary. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities; a faculty of nearly 100 professionals, including not only working photographers but photo editors, critics, publishers and photography dealers; and a curriculum that integrates photographic genres, identities and ambitions. SVA’s diversity in curriculum and the faculty’s professional experience offer students the freedom and support to explore different directions in photography.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Media Contact: For more information, visuals or to arrange an interview, please contact Keri Murawski, publicist, at 212.592.2164 or e-mail kmurawski@sva.edu.

Image: Dave Geeting, Dish and Parka, 2011, silver gelatin print