Department of Art

2024 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The Master of Fine Arts is the terminal degree for practicing, professional artists. The MFA Thesis Exhibition is the capstone experience of the graduate program, demonstrating a personal direction and mastery in the work of the artists. Six graduate students …


MFA Guest Artist Lecture Series: Spring 2024

All Visiting Artist Lectures will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Room 144 Visual & Performing Arts Center Westside Campus: 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT   Gregory Manchess ILLUSTRATOR Tues, Feb 6, 2024 Gregory Manchess is an award-winning illustrator …


MFA Guest Artist Lecture Series: Fall 2023

All Visiting Artist Lectures will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Room 144 Visual & Performing Arts Center Westside Campus: 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT   Glenn Goldberg Monday, September 18, 2023 Glenn Goldberg is a painter and musician …


2023 MFA Thesis Exhibition

The Master of Fine Arts is the terminal degree for practicing, professional artists. The MFA Thesis Exhibition is the capstone experience of the graduate program, demonstrating a personal direction and mastery in the work of the artists. Graduate candidates presenting …


100@100 Off-the-Wall Art Exhibition and Fundraiser

Saturday, February 25, 2023, 3–6 pm Snow Date: Sat, March 4, 2023, 3 – 6 p.m “100@100” is an exciting evening of art, music, food, drinks — and anticipation. This fun and exciting fundraiser will support the Gallery Exhibitions Program …


Catherine Haggarty

Wed, April 26, 2023 VPA 144, 11:00 am Catherine Haggarty is an artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her MFA from Mason Gross, Rutgers University, in 2011. An adjunct professor at  School of Visual Arts, she has also …


Amber Scoon

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 VPA 144, 12:30 p.m. Amber Scoon makes art, books, and events. Assistant Professor of Art and Borgia Gallery Director at Elms College in Chicopee, MA, she also teaches Graduate Studies in Art History at WCSU. She …


Jenny Lynn McNutt

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 VPA 144, 11:00 a.m. Jenny Lynn McNutt is a multimedia artist living in Brooklyn and upstate NY. Her sculpture, painting, and performance work have been shown in the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, and Africa. She …


Danny Schwartz

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 VPA 144, 11:00 a.m. Danny Schwartz is a fantasy illustrator and character designer living in Brooklyn, New York. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, games, television shows, and galleries across the U.S. for over …


Chie Fueki

Thursday, February 9, 2023 VPA 144, 11:00 a.m. Chie Fueki lives and works in Beacon, NY. Born in Yokohama, Japan, and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she earned her MFA at Yale School of Art and her BFA at Ringling College of Art …


Gallery Talk with Marcy Freedman

RSVP to this event HERE As part of the exhibition, Address: Earth in the Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center, artist and art historian Marcy B Freedman will present a gallery talk, Landscape in Art: From Delight to …


Film Screening & Artist Talk with Rosalind Schneider

As part of the exhibition, Address: Earth in the Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center, artist, and filmmaker Rosalind Schneider will present a screening of her film, Pond Reflections, and discuss her work on Wednesday, October 19th from …


Fritz Horstman

Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus   Fritz Horstman is an artist, educator, and curator based in Bethany, CT, where he is Education Director at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. He received his MFA from Maryland Institute College …


Ying Li

Wednesday, Sept 28, 2022 Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus   Ying Li was born in Beijing, China, and studied traditional landscape painting at Anhui Normal University, where she received her BFA and then taught for six years. She …


Eric Valasquez

Wednesday, Oct 12, 2022 *This event is closed to the public   Eric Velasquez is an illustrator who lives and works in New York. He was born in Spanish Harlem, the son of Afro-Puerto Rican parents, and attended the High …


Josephine Halvorson

Wednesday, Nov 2, 2022 Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus   Josephine Halvorson makes art that foregrounds firsthand experience and takes the form of painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Born in Brewster, Massachusetts, she received her BFA at The Cooper …


Amy Smith-Stewart

Wednesday, Nov 16, 2022 *This event is closed to the public   Amy Smith-Stewart is Chief Curator at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Since 2013 she has organized forty-two exhibitions and projects, bringing artists to the Aldrich during pivotal stages …


The Home Project – Closing Celebration

No Place Like Home: Exploring the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Middle East with artist Mohamad Hafez and guests. Thursday, March 3, 2022, 6-8 p.m. in the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall at the Visual & Performing Arts Center In …


Judy Glantzman

Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Judy Glantzman is a native New Yorker and graduate of Rhode Island School of Design. Exhibiting since 1983, she first received critical attention for early shows in …


Caitlin Berndt

Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Caitlin Berndt was born in Baltimore, MD, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. She received her BFA from Maryland Institute of Art (MICA) and her MFA from the …


Stephen Kroninger

Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Stephen Kroninger is an award-winning illustrator and photo-collage artist, based in New York City. His work has appeared in major U.S. and international publications, and he is …


Stephanie Pierce

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Stephanie Pierce was raised in Memphis, TN. She received her BFA from the Art Institute of Boston and also studied at Yale Norfolk School of Art. She …


Chuck Webster

Wednesday, October 13, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Chuck Webster is a painter and printmaker in NYC who has also engaged in collaborative and curatorial work. He received his MFA in painting from American University …


Dorie Petrochko

Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Dorie Petrochko is an award-winning wildlife painter and illustrator. She is a  founding instructor of the Natural Science Illustration Program at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural …


Kyle Staver

Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Kyle Staver is a New York artist originally from Minnesota. She received her BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and her MFA from Yale University. …


Glenn Goldberg

Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Glenn Goldberg is a painter who lives and works in NYC. Born in the Bronx, he studied at the New York Studio School and earned his BA …


Maria De Los Angeles

Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Maria de Los Angeles is a multidisciplinary artist who addresses ideas of migration, belonging, and identity through her drawing, painting, printmaking, and wearable art. She was born …


Spring Virtual Art Workshop Series

a series of Virtual Art Workshops by WCSU MFA Alumnae throughout the month of April Come join us on Friday, April 9, 2021 from 3:00–5:00 pm for an Alumna-led virtual art workshop where Abbie will begin the workshop from Hawaii …


Laini Nemett

Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Laini Nemett holds a dual BA degree from Brown University in Visual Arts and History of Art & Architecture, and an MFA in Painting from Maryland Institute …


Nina Buxenbaum

Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Nina Buxenbaum was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, in a multiracial and politically active family. As a biracial woman, she addresses themes of race and identity …


Clintel Steed

Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 1:00 am Zoom Clintel Steed was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his MFA from Indiana University. He also completed Advanced Studies …


Virtual Faculty Artist Talk

WCSU Alumna, Painter & Adjunct Professor of Art Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 6:00 pm Free & Open to the Public Zoom Colleen McGuire is a professional artist whose work focuses on domestic interiors and scenes from ordinary life. Her process …


Scott Bakal

Tuesday, March 9, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Scott Bakal has been creating art for print and exhibition since 1993 when he graduated from the School of Visual Arts in NYC.  He earned his MA …


Grier Torrence

Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts CenterWCSU, Westside Campus Grier Torrence received his BFA degree at Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA degree at Yale University. He also studied at Stanford University. He has …


Guy Billout

Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 1:00 am Zoom Guy Billout has been called the Buster Keaton of the illustration world. His works are funny, acrobatic feats of mental agility that challenge the laws of logic. His characters retain composure no matter …


MFA Visiting Artists – Spring 2021

We have a great lineup for the Spring 2021 Visiting Artists. Click on the image below for more information.


Virtual Portfolio Day

The Western Connecticut State University  Department of Art will offer an opportunity for high school and college transfer students interested in the fields of art and design to have their artwork reviewed by members of the WCSU art faculty during a “Portfolio Review …


Jon Sideriadis

Tues, November 10, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Visiting Artist Lectures are closed to the public. Check back closer to the date of each lecture as some may go online and be attended virtually.   Jon Sideriadis is …


Richard Klein

Tues, October 27, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Visiting Artist Lectures are closed to the public. Check back closer to the date of each lecture as some may go online and be attended virtually.   Richard Klein is …


Michael Garland

Tues, October 13, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Visiting Artist Lectures are closed to the public. Check back closer to the date of each lecture as some may go online and be attended virtually.   Michael Garland is …


Christopher Manning

Wed, September 30, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Visiting Artist Lectures are closed to the public. Check back closer to the date of each lecture as some may go online and be attended virtually.   Christopher Manning is …


Jenny Lynn McNutt

Wed, September 16, 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Visiting Artist Lectures are closed to the public. Check back closer to the date of each lecture as some may go online and be attended virtually.   Jenny Lynn McNutt …


2020 Senior Portfolio Exhibition

VIEW THE EXHIBITION The Senior Portfolio exhibition is the capstone experience of four years of study by Bachelor’s of Art candidates in Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, and Studio Arts. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a physical exhibition in the …


2020 MFA Thesis (Virtual) Exhibition

LIVE LAUNCH – MARCH 26, 2020 The Department of Art organizes the MFA Thesis Exhibition each spring as a capstone experience demonstrating the personal artistic direction and mastery in the work of candidates for the MFA in Visual Arts. This …


AJ Masthay

Monday, March 2, 2020, 11:00 am Visual & Performing Arts Center, room 144 WCSU, Westside Campus Free & Open to the Public Limited Seating Available AJ Masthay is a Connecticut native, currently based in Hartford. He is known for his …


Ying Li

Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 11:30 am  Visual & Performing Arts Center, room 144 WCSU, Westside Campus Free & Open to the Public Limited Seating Available Ying Li was born in Beijing, China, and studied traditional landscape painting at Anhui Teachers …


Exhibition Opening

FreeForm: exploring the creative process January 30 – March 8, 2019 Leslie Giuliani & Roxy Savage Opening Reception: Thursday, Jan 30, 6–8 pm Artist Talk: 7 pm   Featuring both individual and collaborative works highlighting each artist’s unique vision and …


Andrea Wisnewski

Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 11:30 am  Visual & Performing Arts Center, room 144 WCSU, Westside Campus Free & Open to the Public Limited Seating Available Andrea Wisnewski takes her inspiration from nature, creating illustrations filled with animals, birds and flowers, …


Art Faculty Talk

BRUCE DUNBAR Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020, 6:00 pm  Visual & Performing Arts Center, room 144 WCSU, Westside Campus  Free & Open to the Public, Limited Seating Available Born in Stratford, CT, Bruce Dunbar received his BS from Boston University and his …


Thanksgiving Platters & Plates Sale

WCSU ceramics sale Nov. 21 features Thanksgiving plates & platters   Open house event at WCSU Ceramics Studio to offer ceramic works by student artists          Hand-crafted platters and plates specially designed to grace Thanksgiving dinner tables will be …