During its 50th anniversary, The Hofstra University Museum of Art in Hempstead, New York was faced with a decision: Among more than 5,000 works in its collection which of the more than the 5,000 works would be displayed to celebrate the milestone year?

A full-scale exhibition was staged at the university's 75th anniversary celebration in 2010 that drew on the collection as a whole. Karen T. Albert, the associate director of exhibitions and collections, explained that they didn't want this to be the same show again. Because of this, museum officials chose to emphasize more recent gifts.

Now there are two exhibitions in The Hofstra University Museum of Art, and a third is planned for the spring. At the university’s Emily Lowe Gallery, the anchor exhibit, “50/50: Celebrating 50 Years of The Hofstra University Museu of Art,” is on display through March 28. It features 50 works including paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs. Ms. Albert's curated selection is comprised of nearly 600 previously collected works of art donated since 2006 by numerous collectors, alumni, artists, retired professors and other university friends —and there is a lot of overlap among these categories.

The David Filderman Gallery will display the second exhibit, "The Lyon, the Which and the Warhol," from now until May 19. These photographs combine images originating from the Chicago Outlaw motorcycle club taken in the 1960s by Danny Lyon (the name of the exhibition’s title is derived from the children’s book by C.S. Lewis). Andy Warhol's Polaroids and other photos will be displayed with works by other photographers and artists, such as others, including Chuck Close and Jim Dine, to form an exhibition, entitled ‘Which.' 

As the exhibition includes large Lyon and Warhol donations, Kristy Caratzola presents pieces of the museum’s collection that have been donated since 2006.

During that time period, current executive director Beth E. Levinthal held her role at the museum. Ms. Levinthal assumed the post at Hofstra in mid-2006. Previously she was the head of the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, New York. As a result, she adds, the museum has narrowed its collection priorities and identified areas “we wanted to bolster and pay more attention to.” The museum seeks gifts along these lines.

The Hofstra University Museum of Art, for instance, has been paying more attention to contemporary Long Island artists recently, Ms. Levinthal said. “50/50” comprises several long-established artists, including Stan Brodsky, who donated a painting — an abstraction incorporating Hebrew letters — to the museum in honor of its 50th anniversary. During a visit to Ms. Albert's studio, Ms. Levinthal selected the painting alongside her.

Another Long Island connection can be observed in two paintings by Stanley Twardowicz, considered one of the pioneers of Abstract Expressionism; he was a Hofstra fine arts faculty member for many years while living in Huntington; he died in 2008.

Ellis Carpet Cleaning Hempstead

Next Up: African American Museum of Nassau
 



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