School of Visual Arts Opens Several New Exhibits for June

The School of Visual Arts has several continuous art exhibitions for the month of June. The exhibitions are being held at the four galleries around town. Also, the "Media The Matter Film Festival" is being held on Wednesday, June 2nd. All galleries will be closed for the Independence Day holiday weekend from Friday, July 2, 1pm through Monday, July 5.

SVA Gallery at 209 East 23 Street will have the exhibit, "Social," from June 5th to the 26th. A reception will take place on June 7th from 5 to 7pm. The exhibition of photography, painting and sculpture is done by students and recent graduates that examines current global conditions and cultural legacies. It is curated by Richard Brooks. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.

Visual Arts Gallery at 601 West 26 Street, 15th floor will close the MFA Computer Art Department Thesis Exhibition 2010 on June 5th. There will be a "Meet The Artists" event on Thursday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 pm. The exhibition is curated by Charley Lewis. The MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department Thesis Exhibition 2010 will be from June 11th to the 26th with a reception on the 15th from 6 to 8 pm. It is curated by facult member Bonnie Yochelson. The gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm.

The Westside Gallery at 133/141 West 21 Street offers "Between," an exhibition of sculpture, video and prints by current students and recent graduates featuring works of a meditative and contemplative nature. The exhibition, curated by Richard Brooks, will run from June 1st to the 19th. A reception is to take place on Wednesday the 2nd from 5 to 7 pm. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 7pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6pm.

The Westside Project Space at 133/141 West 21 Street on ground floor will have the
winning images of the Strand Tote Bag design contest from June 22nd to July 5th.  The exhibition features the winners and 20 finalists of the Strand Tote Bag Design Contest, for which artists around the world were invited to design a new tote bag for the iconic New York bookstore. Three winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including FranCoise Mouly, Art Spiegelman, Steven Heller, Adrian Tomine and R. Sikoryak. The exhibition is presented by SVA, the Strand Book Store, TOON Books, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics Books. There will be a reception on June 22nd at 6:30 pm. Hours are Monday to Friday from 9 am t 7 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.

The Media That Matters Film Festival takes place on Wednesday, June 2nd at 6pm at the SVA Theatre On 333 West 23 St. Tackling issues from gay rights to global warming, this jury-selected collection of short films represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under the age of 21. Intended to spark debate and action, the 12 films are documentaries, music videos, animations and experimental works. It is presented by the MFA Social Documentary Department and Arts Engine. Tickets are $13 and are available at http://mediathatmatters.eventbrite.com There will also be a series of free, related workshops on Thursday, June 3. For more information, visit: http://mtmimpact.eventbrite.com

Photo: Laurel Lueders, Untitled 2, 2009, archival pigment print; from "Between"