William Paterson University
Home Calendars Campus Directories Directions and Map Library Site Map Search  
The University Admissions Academics Enrolled Students Faculty and Staff News Cultural Events Community Outreach Athletics Alumni Relations Giving Opportunities
 
 
  wp perspectives
  News Releases
News Release Archive
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   

News Release

 
CONTACT:
Mary Beth Zeman, 973-720-2444
zemanm@wpunj.edu


January 31, 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

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 January 31 through April 22, 2005. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

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 “CONSTELLATIONS,” an exhibit of electronic sculpture by James Seawright. “Blue Crystals,” an exhibit of paintings by Janet Filomeno, is on view in the South Gallery.

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.