The Exhibition opens November 2 with live faculty performances, and runs through December 9 in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery
Eleven Worcester State University faculty members from the departments of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and Communications step outside of their classrooms and studios to showcase a fascinating range of work in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery on November 2 for “A Different Stage,” a fall 2023 faculty art show.
The exhibition runs through December 9 featuring photography, videography, abstract paintings, sculpture, pottery, performing arts, and more from faculty artists David Angell, Brad Chapman, Susan Fisher, Steve Gagliastro, Suzanne Gainer, Michael Hachey, Eric Nichols, Carlos Odria, Stacey Parker, Brittany Severance, and Adam Zahler.
“The show marks an exciting chance for Worcester State students to enjoy the amazing talents and skills of their faculty members as they present work in ‘a different stage’ of their own artistic journeys,” said Gallery Director and Professor of Fine Art and Interdisciplinary Studies Stacey Parker. “All gallery guests, including the greater Worcester community, can look forward to some unexpected twists, and so the title of the show also plays on those surprises as we bring performing arts into the exhibition space, for example.”
A dynamic and lively opening reception is slated to kick off the exhibition from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 2 with live musical performances by celebrated performers Carlos Odria, a guitarist who will also be featuring four paintings in the show, and Steve Gagliastro, an actor who will perform a selection of original compositions on vocals and piano from his musical, Jenny Awakes, alongside his wife and actress Annie Kerins. Jenny Awakes is a coming-of-age comedy set in the early 1980s in Worcester about a brother and sister duo’s month-long adventure in public school following a boiler malfunction at their parochial school.
Also on opening night, theatre professor Adam Zahler, director of Worcester State Theatre’s fall production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, will present a reading of the short story, “Sophie Permutter, Master Criminal of Worcester: a heist in eight dialogues.” Zahler will be joined by his wife Amy Bernstein for the reading, with English major and theatre minor Ashley Harvey reading headings and visual and performing arts major Simon Abdal-Khabir on percussion.
Zahler’s reading is scheduled to kick off at 4:45 p.m. on opening night, with Gagliastro’s musical performance set for approximately 5:30 p.m., and Odria’s live music performance set for approximately 6:15 p.m.
VPA’s Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery offers five main exhibits interspersed with shorter term events throughout the year. The gallery invites artists in all stages of their careers along with our faculty and students to exhibit works that explore the established, edgy, and innovative ideas in the artistic world. The gallery’s mission is to contribute to the cultural offerings of the region by exhibiting work of vitality and interest in the contemporary art world. In addition to preparing for the upcoming faculty show, Gallery staff are holding an open art call for “The Glow Show,” with artist submissions that focus on light welcome through January 5, 2024. The juried show will open on January 25, 2004.
All gallery shows and opening receptions are free and open to the community. For more information regarding upcoming exhibitions, the open call, and art offerings, contact the gallery at Gallery@worcester.edu or 508-929-8651, or visit the gallery online via wsuvpagallery.com.
Photo: Work with stones by Stacey Parker, gallery director and professor of interdisciplinary studies and fine arts.
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