Chen Art Gallery

18th Annual Sustainability Symposium - Climate Change Through The Lens of Art

Public Reception

Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time: 5:30 - 8 PM.

There will be a talk by the curator, with the artists on site, discussing how their interpretations of climate change in the Arctic have surfaced as artworks, as well as a live performance by Justin Wright, who also took part in the artist residency program. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served. This will be the closing event for the 18th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium: Climate Change Through the Lens of Art, an all-day event being held at the Student Center - Alumni Hall.

The reception is funded in part by The Geography Sustainability Program and by the Department of Geography, Anthropology and Tourism and Climate Change Studies Academic Program. 

Learn More About the 18th Annual Sustainability Symposium

Location:
Chen Art Gallery
Maloney Hall Room 202
Central Connecticut State University,
1615 Stanley St, New Britain, CT 06050

Regular Gallery Hours:
M: 1 - 4 PM
T-F: 11AM - 4PM (except university holidays and closures)

**Elevator access to the gallery is currently unavailable. Please contact us for accommodations.

Free admission and free parking at Welte Garage, adjacent to the art building.
Email: artgallery@ccsu.edu 
Website: https://www.ccsu.edu/artgallery 
Instagram: @chenartgallery

18th Annual Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium Keynote - Julie Forgues (4/3/25, 4:15 PM)

Emerging Dialogues in the Midnight Sun
(March 2025)

The Chen Art Gallery at Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT is proud to present the upcoming exhibition “Emerging Dialogues in the Midnight Sun.”

The show will run from March 10 to April 11, 2025. This exhibition features the work of twenty-two international artists including:

• Adam Fung
• Alma Noor
• Amy Hoagland
• Anna Munster
• Christina Weisner
• Colin Lyons
• Dorota Borowa
• Eric Dickson
• Frank Horvat
• Jann Rosen-Queralt
• Jennifer Garza-Cuen
• Julian Forrest
• Julie Forgues
• Karen Wirth
• Kathy Sirico
• Marielle Guille
• Mark Ijzerman
• Maya Kramer
• Michele Barker
• Phil Irish
• Sébastien Robert
• Ted Efremoff.

This exhibition is guest-curated by artist and Professor Julie Forgues from Département des arts visuels of Université de Moncton (New Brunswick, Canada) and organized by Professor Ted Efremoff of the Art & Design Department at Central Connecticut State University. Professors Forgues and Efremoff both participated in the Arctic Circle artist residency program around the Svalbard Archipelago (Norway) in the Summer of 2023 with a group of fellow artists, musicians and scientists hailing from all over the world. This exhibition represents the variety of practitioners that took part in this expedition and their understanding of climate change.

5IVE PERSPECTIVES 
(January 2025)

The Chen Art Gallery at Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT is proud to present the
upcoming exhibition ‘5ive Perspectives.’ The show will run from January 23 to February 21, 2025. The Romanian Artist Connection (RoArtConn) group includes artists: Ioana Barac, Ileana Dumitriu, Luiza Budea, Liviu Cupceancu, Flavius Lucacel, Iulian Budea, and Adrian Panaitisor.

This exhibition is guest-curated by artist Adrian Panaitisor, a former 'Understanding Dimensions in Art' instructor at Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT. The 'Five Perspectives' show represents the first comprehensive public exhibition of the Romanian-born artists of the RoArtConn group. The RoArtConn members' exhibition openly displays a multitude of visual art forms like painting, illustration, sculpture, conceptual art, installation, and drawing. The work of these professional artists, with decades of experience and varying artistic philosophies, are rooted in the success of the famous Romanian art school–which gave the world artists like Constantin Brancusi and Adrian Ghenie, among many others.

The public is encouraged to attend an opening reception on Thursday, January 23, 2025 from 4 - 6:30 PM.
There will be a brief talk by the curator and a couple of participating artists at 4:30 PM. Refreshments and
hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Public Reception

Thurs January 23rd from 4 - 6:30 pm
Artist Talk at 4:30 pm

2024 Art Educator Student Exhibition

December 2 - December 6, 2024

Public Reception

Wednesday, December 4 from 4 - 7 p.m.
Artist Talk 4:30 p.m.

The 2024 Art Educator’s Exhibition is a dynamic showcase of the creative talents and forward-thinking approaches
of Art Education students at Central Connecticut State University. Featuring a diverse array of works ranging from
painting and sculpture to digital media and mixed techniques, the exhibition highlights how the next generation of art educators is poised to reshape the landscape of arts education. Each piece reflects not only mastery of artistic
skill but also the innovative methodologies these students are developing to inspire future artists in the classroom
and beyond. This exhibition is a testament to the bright future of arts education and its role in shaping well-rounded,
creative, and expressive individuals.

The featured works also delve deeply into the students’ personal visions, offering a window into their unique
perspectives and artistic journeys. From explorations of identity and culture to bold commentaries on societal issues,
each piece is a narrative in its own right, resonating with authenticity and passion. Visitors are invited to experience
firsthand how these emerging educators seamlessly blend their individual artistry with the pedagogical principles that will shape their teaching practices. Together, these works celebrate the transformative power of art and education, marking this exhibition as both a milestone in these students’ academic careers and an inspiration for the
wider community.

Show dates December 2-6, 2024. The public is encouraged to attend an opening reception on Wednesday, December
4th from 4 - 7 PM. Refreshments and horderves will be served. The gallery is located at Maloney Hall Room 202, the Chen Art Gallery has shown the work of contemporary artists, Central students, faculty, and alumni.

Proximity & Distance

Guest Curated by Shona Macdonald
October 17 - November 15, 2024

Public Reception

Thursday, October 17th from 4 - 7 p.m.
Artist Talk 4:30 p.m.

The Chen Art Gallery at Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT is proud to present an upcoming exhibition ‘Proximity & Distance.’ The show will run from October 17-November 15. The artists included are Namwon Choi, GA; Bill Conger, IL; Carrie Gundersdorf, NY; Jin Lee, IL; Young Min Moon, MA; Pete Schulte, AL.

The six artists invited by guest curator Shona Macdonald, Professor and Artist in the Department of Art at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, consider ideas about how closely inspected images open out to suggest larger spaces, whether philosophical, geographical, physical. What brings their practices together is a flow between near and far; downwards and outwards; proximity and distance. Not presented as opposites, the artworks form a conversation between these ever-shifting states of being. ‘Proximity & Distance’ considers two parallel ideas. First, the re-emphasis of place over the rapid acceleration of time. Second, the notion of parallax vision, the displacement
of objects when seen from two different points of view: ‘proximity and distance.’ 

The public is encouraged to attend an opening reception on Thursday, October 17th from 4 - 7 PM. There will be a brief talk by the curator and a few participating artists at 4:30 PM. Refreshments will be served.