*_FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE_September 1, 2011*

Contact:
Suzanne Grady, Director Sara Pasti, Director
Communication & Marketing Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art
(845) 257-3245(845) 257-3846

*/Note to editors/*/: Photos related to this advisory are available for 
download from the SUNY New Paltz web site via the following link: /

/Linking Collections, Building Connections 
/


  *The Dorsky hosts reception for new exhibition featuring work from
  five Hudson Valley collections***

*NEW PALTZ --*The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art will hold a public 
reception for its new exhibition, "Linking Collections, Building 
Connections: Work from the Hudson Valley Visual Art Collections 
Consortium," Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, 5 - 7 p.m.

The exhibition, which was organized by Dorsky Museum Curator Brian 
Wallace and Center for Photography at Woodstock Executive Director Ariel 
Shanberg, runs from Aug. 24 - Dec. 11, 2011.

This exhibition presents fresh perspectives on a century of artistic 
activity in the Mid-Hudson Valley. It brings to light more than 150 
artworks and the connections that link them together. The exhibition 
gathers together paintings, sculptures, furnishings, prints, drawings, 
photographs and conceptual works from the permanent collections of the 
partner organizations that comprise the Hudson Valley Visual Art 
Collections Consortium (HVVACC).

The HVVACC organizations (the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the 
Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Women's Studio Workshop, Woodstock Artists 
Association & Museum, and the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild) are developing 
an online visual database, a series of events and publications, and a 
regional collection study and exhibition center.

Together, the collections of these five partner organizations are a 
significant regional resource. The "Linking Collections, Building 
Connections" exhibition is part of a long-range project to make these 
collections available to scholars and the public.

"Linking Collections, Building Connections"is organized into eight 
sections. An introductory section, Iconic Works, showcases significant 
works from each of the five collections. Subsequent sections address 
themes that touch each of the organizations:  Making History, 
Printmaking, Circles of Affiliation, Case Study, Patronage and Kingston. 
A final section, the last, large wall of the exhibition, is /The Cloud/, 
a new project by artist Michael Asbill. It is a densely hung wall filled 
from floor to ceiling with works from all five of the collections 
including interactive computer stations that visitors can use to explore 
the collections online.

"Linking Collections, Building Connections/" /serves several purposes. 
It empowers visitors to make their own connections and interpretations; 
it serves as a jumping-off point for museum tours, regional exploration 
and other educational activities; and it indicates the scope of the 
opportunities
presented by the Hudson Valley Visual Art Collections Consortium.

Funding for the printing of the exhibition cataloghas been provided in 
part by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area's 
Quadricentennial Implementation Grant Program funded by the National 
Park Service.

	

*EXHIBITION-RELATED PROGRAMS***

*_September Professional Development Programs for Area Teachers_*

Ulster BOCES will host two-hour professional development workshops for 
high school teachers at the museum. These workshops will assist area 
educators to use the exhibition as a teaching tool for subjects from art 
techniques to local history. They are scheduled for Sept. 20, 27 and 30. 
For more information, contact Amy Poux, Ulster BOCES Instructional 
Services Coordinator for Arts in Education, Environmental Education and 
Talent Development at (845) 255-1402  ext.1369

*_Public Symposium_**__*

The Dorsky will host "Symposium on Region-Specific Art and Museum 
Practice" involving area artists, curators, historians, educators and 
theorists on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m.Visit the museum's website 
 for more information.**

*_Group Tours_*

School and group tours in the areas of history, art and regional culture 
are available on a fee basis. For information and reservations, visit 
the museum's website  or call (845) 
257-3844.

*ABOUT THE MUSEUM*

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, located at SUNY New Paltz, is fast 
becoming the premier public showplace for exhibition, education, and 
cultural scholarship about the Hudson Valley region's art and artists 
from yesterday and today. With more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition 
space distributed over six galleries, the Dorsky Museum is one of the 
largest museums within the SUNY system.

This exhibition is part of a series of exhibitions celebrating The 
Dorsky's tenth anniversary year and highlighting the museum's focus on 
the art and artists of the Hudson Valley. The Dorsky was officially 
dedicated on Oct. 20, 2001. Since then it has presented over one hundred 
exhibitions, including commissions, collection-based projects, and 
in-depth studies of artists including Robert Morris, Alice Neel, Judy 
Pfaff and Carolee Schneemann.

For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, visit 
http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum, or call (845) 257-3844.

-- 30 --

/Located in the heart of a dynamic college town, ninety minutes from 
metropolitan New York City, the //State University of New York at New 
Paltz //is a highly selective college of about 
8,000 undergraduate and graduate students./
//
/One of the most well-regarded public colleges in the nation, New Paltz 
delivers an extraordinary number of majors in / /Business/ 
/, //Liberal Arts & Sciences/ 
/, //Engineering/ 
/, //Fine & Performing Arts/ 
/and //Education/ 
/. /
//
// /New Paltz embraces its culture as a community where talented and 
independent minded people from around the world create close personal 
links with real scholars and artists who love to teach/