Elmira College Student Show in Brooklyn

We are all super pumped about our opening reception today at Superfine starting at 6pm. Having a show in New York City is an unbelievable opportunity the for exposure of our work. We are extremely appreciative of owners Tanya and Cara Lee with their enthusiasm and support. Our show will be up for the next two weeks and we welcome everyone to stop by, have a drink, and enjoy some art!

- Christina Nurczynski

By Christina Nurczynski

By Julia Tighe

By Aubrie Nelson

By Renee Bonacci

By Kate Gott

By Jamieson Riling

By Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey

Botanic Garden Visit

Today, we headed up to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! We enjoyed a delicious and relaxing lunch outside, amidst the beautiful scenery. Walking through the Botanic Garden was a wonderful way for the group to wind down, chat in a relaxed environment, and enjoy the wonderful garden in the full bloom of spring. It was a great way to spend a warm and sunny afternoon in New York City.

It's All Happening At The Zoo

I'm not a city kid, not even close. I'm used to a yard full of woods where bears walking through is a common occurrence, and I get woken up by the roosters and ducks on a daily basis. Yet, despite it being somewhat outside my comfort zone, I jumped at the chance to come to the city for this monthlong trip. And I'm so incredibly glad I came. We've met some incredible people, seen some phenomenal things, and I'm looking forward to all the other things yet to come. And as much fun as I've had in the city so far, getting a chance to spend a day in a slightly more natural environment (namely the Bronx Zoo) was a welcome interruption. 

There's something about most animals that just turns me into a kid in a candy shop again, albeit one with a camera now, running around to take 50 pictures of each and every thing. Though, I like to think that I have a slightly more mature way of looking at things now then I did the last time I visited. 

Rather than necessarily just rushing for the more "spectacular" animals straight away (lions and tigers and bears, oh my,) and passing the others without a thought, looking at art has gotten me on the path of slowing down to observe the little things, even if that only manifests itself in the form of patience while looking for the elusive poison dart frog amidst the leaves of its tank. 

-Aubrie Nelson

Bronx Zoo & Art Alike

From the free spirit of kids running and screaming in a zoo, to the refined atmosphere of a museum, many would argue that the experience of a zoo compared to that of an art museum or gallery would be very different. However, after visiting the Bronx Zoo with the MoMA, Met, Frick, and many other gallery visits under our belt, I found that these two have a profound commonality for the audience in both cases, utilizing the ability to truly look.

Amy sharing a moment with a baboon.

This seemed especially true when we all spent time with the baboons and tigers. People gathered in front of the glass to snap pictures, read informational excerpts, and take videos like it was the Mona Lisa or a Van Gogh painting. To truly experience the moment, it wasn't just about taking a picture, it was spending time connecting with the animals in their environment.

I and others couldn't help but notice the relatable eyes of the baboon and gorilla, the majestic movement of the tiger, bright color of the toucans, grace of the giraffe, and power of the bears and hyena much like one appreciates similar elements in a fine piece of artwork. We look for and feel those special details in an animal just like we appreciate and recognize color, mood, narrative, and movement, etc. in a painting, drawing, and other media.

To truly look is to have mindset of curiosity and intrigue.

-Christina Nurczynski

My Day Off at Strand

Today I went to one of the biggest book stores I've ever been in.  Strand is located at 828 Broadway at 12^th street which is part of Greenwich Village. This book store is not only unique in terms of its size but also in what types of books they sell. Most bookstores sell either used books or new books, but in Strand they sell both together. It truly makes for a different experience as you look down the shelves with new and old next to each other. Before you even walk in the door there are books surrounding the store, but the best part of these books are they start at .49 cents up to two dollars. There is no way of beating that price. I got five books for 12 bucks! This is how I spend my day off in the city, an opportunity I would not have had at home.

-Alex Miller

Strand Bookstore Website

Reactions to The Frick Collection

Individual reactions to our day at The Frick Collection 

On our way to The Frick Collection

Gina "Frick-en awesome"

Christina "It's definitely my new favorite place to be. I liked Sir Thomas More Hans by Holbein The Younger"

Holbein The Younger, Sir Thomas More Hans

Andrew "My new Sunday favorite."

Julia "I was satisfied just seeing the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington."

George Washington, Gilbert Stuart

Renee "Mind blowing!"

Alex "Amazing!"

Jamieson "I loved the Van Dyck and Rembrandt, they took my breath away. I was literally like -ahh."

Frans Snyder, Anthony Sir Van Dyck

Nicolaes Ruts, Rembrandt van Rijn

Kate "My favorite part about the Frick was that they hold a Sunday sketch in thier garden open to everyone which is perfect for us art students!"

Maggie "I fell in love with Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' Comtesse d'Haoussonville and her story."  

Comtesse d"Haussonville, J.A.D. Ingres

Aubrie "I thought the sketching was cool."

Amy "It was an elegant and enlightening experience."

-Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey

Meeting Glenn Fuhrman



Admiring Glenn Fuhrman's Gerhard Richter

 After meeting Chuck Close, Mark di Suvero, and Roberta Smith we didn't think we could handle coming in contact with any more legendary figures of the art world-at least this week that is. That was until we had the honor and privilege of being invited into the home of Glenn Fuhrman, renown contemporary art collector and founder of The Flag Foundation located in Chelsea.

Fuhrman graciously welcomed us into his home where he accepted our questions and provided us with stories of his experiences as an art collector. He further discussed his inspiring mission to make art accessible and available to anyone and everyone. We even had the ability to be the first to view Fuhrman's latest installment of various works from his expansive collection including Cy Twombly, Damien Hirst, Gerhard Richter, Chuck Close, and our very own Professor Marc Dennis.

So far on our trip we have seen dozens of galleries, various artist studios, multiple museums, and countless works of art. We can now proudly add meeting and learning from Glenn Fuhrman to our almost unbelievable list of experiences.

-Maggie Zurbruegg-Ramey

Julia, Gina, Kate, Maggie, Amy, Glenn Fuhrman, Aubrie, Alex, Renee, Jamieson, Andrew, Christina