VPA to open gallery Feb. 28 with Ludwig Stein’s ‘Selections’

VPA to open gallery Feb. 28 with Ludwig Stein’s ‘Selections’February 18, 2009Erica Blustesblust@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) will celebrate the opening of a new venue in downtown Syracuse with an inaugural exhibition by one of its most celebrated faculty artists.

“Selections,” an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Ludwig Stein, professor of painting and chair of the School of Art and Design’s Department of Art, will be on view Feb. 28-March 21 at the Hot Shop, 307-313 S. Clinton St. The exhibition is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held Saturday, Feb. 28, from 5-8 p.m. Regular exhibition hours are Wednesday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

VPA will use the Hot Shop as an additional space to showcase the curriculum-related activities of its students, faculty, alumni and visiting artists.

The work in “Selections” spans Stein’s 37 years at VPA, teaching on the SU campus as well as in London and in Florence, Italy.

“My desires for the viewer are to perceive elegance, richness, passion and rediscover sensitivity for the world around them,” says Stein in his artist’s statement for the exhibition. “I want my viewers to understand that each artist must find their muse and, within that finding, show love for themselves, the object of desire, the painting and the viewer. My intention as an artist-teacher is to pass this passion and knowledge on to my students, knowing full well that discovery and understanding are personal.”

Stein has exhibited his work in solo and group shows in cities around the world, including Guayaquil, Ecuador; Basel, Switzerland; and London. His work is included in many permanent collections, including those of the University of London, the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, American Airlines and JPMorgan Chase. He is the recipient of grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the British Council Arts Group and the Ford Foundation, among others.

Stein is represented by Barbara Gillman Gallery in Miami and Gallery Shoneck in Basel. He holds a master of fine arts degree from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art.

For more information about the space or the exhibition, contact Andrew Havenhand, the college’s program exhibitions coordinator, at (315) 474-1217 or ahavenhand@yahoo.com.

VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. The college provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that thrives on critical thought and action. Learn more at http://vpa.syr.edu.