The Fine Arts Society is having a banner year in 2018-19 thanks to the creativity and energy of its officers and board members and the participation of students at large. The goal of the Society is the creation of a community of NYU students interested in art, art history, and visual culture. Through visits to museums and galleries both within and without New York City as well as walking tours, lectures, symposia, and film screenings, the Fine Arts Society brings art history majors and non-majors together, with lively discussions.
Tremendous thanks and hearty congratulations go to all of the club’s officers and board members for their enthusiasm, commitment, and organizational chops. This year’s officers are Co-presidents Eduardo Sotomayor (Art History; Business minor ’19) and Tony Cui (Art History ’19), Treasurer Lane Bhutani (Gallatin; Italian minor ’19), PR/Marketing Executive Chantal Chen (Art History; French minor ’19), Secretary Xiaolu Wu (Art History; East Asian Studies minor ’20), and Executive Board members Emily Schechter (Art History; History minor ’19) and Sara Miranda (Art History; Steinhardt Digital Art and Design minor ’20). Followers of this blog will note how many of this year’s officers are Fine Arts Society veterans who bring long experience with the club to their excellent work this year. Thanks also go to Professor Michele Matteini, who serves again this year as the club’s faculty advisor.
The Society started off the new academic year by thinking outside the box — and by venturing outside the halls and classrooms of the third floor of Silver Center — holding a Club Fest and Recruitment evening in the Kimmel Center. More than 80 students added their names to the club’s mailing list during this event, which took place on September 5th. A week later (September 12th) the Society held its annual fall Welcome Party/Meet-and-Greet in the Department of Art History. More than 30 enthusiastic students reconnected after the summer break and learned about the Society’s activities and planned events, fortified by plentiful pizza.
A scant three days later (September 15th) the Society sponsored what has become one of its most popular events: a Chelsea Gallery Tour. This year more than 25 students spent a stimulating day visiting Pace, David Zwirner, and Lisson galleries. On November 15th, 15 lucky students attended a guided tour, led by a museum educator, of the spectacular “Delacroix” exhibition at the Met.
The Society inaugurated the spring semester with a Welcome Back Event held at The Rubin Museum of Art. On February 1st, 10 fortunate students attended the celebration of the opening of the exhibition “Faith and Empire: Art and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism.” As readers of this blog and others will know, Beth Citron (Ph.D. History of Art, University of Pennsylvania ’09), an alumna of the Department of Art History, is Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Rubin.
The club’s plans for the coming months include a weekend day trip to Dia:Beacon in upstate New York for 15 lucky students, to take place in March; an excursion in April to The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, NY; and the highly anticipated annual events, the Young Professionals Symposium and the Professional Symposium, both in May. The former event will feature presentations and career-oriented advice from young museum curators, educators, and gallerists; at the latter event, curators, museum and gallery directors, and other more established art world professionals will give presentations, to be followed by a Q&A. If you know of any art world professional (a curator, professor, mentor, boss, friend, or family member) who you think would be a great speaker in either professional symposium, please contact the Society through facebook or instagram.
The Society will host an end-of-year picnic and graduation party in Washington Square Park in May.
Stay informed by following the Society on facebook or instagram (@nyufas). All important updates and messages will be issued through NYU Engage. Look for the club there under NYU FAS and join us to always stay in the loop!
A new executive board, along with two new co-presidents and a treasurer will be selected in May and will be responsible for the Fine Arts Society next year. Look out for future emails from NYU Engage to apply for a position if you are interested.
Chelsea Gallery Tour 9/15/18
Chelsea Gallery Tour 9/15/18
Chelsea Gallery Tour 9/15/18
“Delacroix” at the Met 11/15/18
“Delacroix” at the Met 11/15/18
At the Rubin Museum for “Faith and Empire” 2/1/19
At the Rubin Museum for “Faith and Empire” 2/1/19
Fields of Vision 