Sept. 18, 2023. UTICA — Two talented Pratt Munson alumni will share the Pratt Munson Gallery for an exhibition, Vestige, opening Sept. 29.
Tania Alvarez and Sydney Ellison bring contrasting styles, mediums, and focuses to the show, which is free and open to the public through Oct. 26. An opening reception will be held 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29.
Alvarez ‘03 is currently working in paintings, sewn works on paper, and soft sculptures to give form to the malleability of memory, she says in an artist statement. The works show how the more Alvarez attempts to remember something, the more the memory changes.
“I track those changes through compositional elements such as mirroring and patterning, and I create mementos by repeating scenes of places and experiences that have shaped my identity,” she says.
Alvarez works in Catskill, New York and earned a Master of Fine Art at the New York Academy of Art in 2017 and Bachelor of Fine Art at Pratt Institute in 2005.
Ellison ‘20 explores the discrepancy in the likelihood individuals from marginalized races, ethnicities, and genders are believed or taken seriously when reporting pain in a clinical setting, her artist statement says. Her works in photography based on “the pain gap” draw upon personal experiences, archival imagery, and interviews with patients, caregivers, and clinicians; layering and opacity are used to visually represent the disconnect from one’s body or sense of self.
“This work came out of a desire to explore the systems and beliefs that lead to this disparity in treatment and the real-world impact that not being believed has on patients,” Ellison says.
Ellison is based in Brooklyn, New York and earned a Bachelor of Fine Art at Pratt Institute in 2022.
The Pratt Munson Gallery is located on the second floor of Fountain Elms. A new chairlift to improve accessibility will be installed prior to the exhibition opening. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
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Munson is an internationally recognized fine arts center in Utica, New York serving diverse audiences through a renowned Museum of Art, live performances and events, community arts classes, and Pratt Munson, the upstate extension campus of the prestigious Pratt Institute.
