PAFA and 33 Orchard Present Work by MFA Graduates

June 17 - July 5 at 33 Orchard gallery in NYC

Opening reception: Thursday, June 18, 6 - 8 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA (June 12, 2015) -- The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in conjunction with 33 Orchard gallery is pleased to present And Many More, an exhibition of work by nine graduating MFA students from PAFA's class of 2015.

And Many More, on view June 17 - July 5 at 33 Orchard (33B Orchard Street, New York City), features painting, video and sculpture by Nadine Beauharnois, Mingfei Cui, Sara Fry, Sean Hildreth, Morgan R. Hobbs, Mary Claire Ramirez, Marcelle Reinecke, Shane Smith and Julie Thompson.

Juried by Jodi Throckmorton, Curator of Contemporary Art at PAFA, And Many More exemplifies the broad range of artistic interests and pursuits at work in the PAFA MFA program.

"Graduate school is time for both free exploration and intense focus. It's a place where students collaborate and challenge each other and where dead ends are encountered on the way to triumphant breakthroughs," says Clint Jukkala, current Chair of Graduate Programs at PAFA who will in July become Dean of the School of Fine Arts. "And Many More features the work of nine artists who have just shared these experiences together."

Jukkala notes that over the course of the two-year MFA program, many of these students altered their practices dramatically. Some entered as painters but turned toward video, others worked primarily in drawing and gravitated towards sculpture, still others dug deeply and explored all the possibilities of one medium. In every case, these artists experimented, took risks and questioned their work. The process led to new discoveries and fresh possibilities. 

The exhibition shows the cross-pollination and affinities that occur when a group of artists works in close proximity, and it demonstrates the results of tireless effort and strength of spirit.

"And Many More for these artists marks a beginning: of work to be made, adventures to be taken, and good things to come," Jukkala says.

A catalog with an essay by Jodi Throckmorton accompanies the exhibition.