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March 21, 2005
BEN SHAHN GALLERIES FEATURES EXHIBIT COMMEMORATING
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY
—Titled “Chronologies and Connections: 1855-2005, The
Evolution of the University in a Global Context,” the exhibit
features more than 300 images, many from William Paterson’s
Archive
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An exhibit of images and artifacts chronicling
the evolution of William Paterson University in Wayne during its
150-year history is on view in the University’s Ben Shahn
Galleries from March 21 through April 22, 2005. Gallery hours are
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. A reception
for the exhibit will be held on Sunday, April 3, from 2 to 4 p.m.
William Paterson University is celebrating its 150th anniversary
with a year-long series of events and activities.
Titled “Chronologies and Connections, 1855-2005: The Evolution
of the University in a Global Context,” the exhibit features
more than 300 images, many of which are drawn from the William Paterson
University History Archive. “This exhibit is an homage to
all that has changed,” says Angela De Laura, an associate
professor of art who designed the exhibit assisted by Kelly Merklin
of Pompton Lakes and Yuan Zhang, an international student from Beijing,
China, both seniors majoring in fine art. “We particularly
wanted to examine elements of the University’s history, such
as design and architecture, within the wider perspective of artistic
and historical events of the same time period.”
One section of the exhibit, which is located in Ben Shahn’s
Court Gallery, features concurrent examples of University architecture,
University graphics and memorabilia, examples of Western fine art,
and photographs of world events, organized within three time spans:
1850 to 1924, 1925 to 1969, and 1970 to the present. For example,
an image of Raubinger Hall, which opened on campus in 1968, is juxtaposed
against a commencement program from the same year, a Time magazine
cover showing Neil Armstrong on the moon in 1969, and Andy Warhol’s
print of Marilyn Monroe from 1967.
Another section of the exhibit contains images of William Paterson
students through the years with charts that provide statistics on
the University’s enrollment, New Jersey state college enrollment,
U.S. college enrollment, the U.S. population, and the world population.
Other sections provide recent changes in artistic styles through
the context of the University’s Sculpture on Campus program
and through the covers of the Artery, the University’s student
art magazine.
Finally, a section of the exhibit offers rotating works by current
William Paterson art faculty and students, thus juxtaposing works
by current practicing artists with artists of the future.
DeLaura is a graphic designer, medical illustrator, and fine artist.
Her paintings and sculpture are in the permanent collections of
major museums and collectors. She is a graphic designer and medical
illustrator for major corporations in the tri-state area. De Laura
has won fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts
and the Stockbridge Artist in Residence program, among others.
A member of the William Paterson art faculty since 1995, De Laura
is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design, and earned a master’s
degree in fine arts from Rochester Institute of Technology. Under
her guidance, William Paterson students have won numerous awards
and scholarships from professional organizations including the Art
Directors Club of New Jersey and the Advertising Club of New Jersey.
She is a resident of Ridgewood.
Additional information about the University’s 150th anniversary
is available on the Web at www.wpunj.edu/wp150.
The exhibit is one of three shows on view concurrently in the Ben
Shahn Galleries. On view in the East Gallery is “Miriam
Beerman: Wall Installations – Works on Paper,” a
one-person exhibit. The South Gallery features “American
Impressions: Contemporary American Printmaking,” an annual
juried exhibit of works by artists from across the country.
This exhibit is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey
State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency
of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Ben Shahn Galleries are wheelchair-accessible; large-print handouts
are available. For additional information, please call the Galleries
at William Paterson University, 973-720-2654.
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