The Maurice N. Flecker Memorial Gallery has brightened the Southampton Building on the Ammerman campus for years. It annually switches out pieces, highlighting work by students, professors and other Long Island artists. With so much art on display, the gallery hosts annual awards to recognize raw, creative talent.
Each year, the Flecker gallery hosts a faculty show and two student exhibitions (one for high school and one for Suffolk students). The visual arts department displays its most recent works in the faculty show at one particular exhibit throughout the year. The high school student show includes 30 invited schools around Long Island for a wider variety of pieces and to show new faces in the art world. The main student exhibit, the SCCC Student Show, is the main event, finishing off the semester.
The awards will be presented in the Southampton Building today from 3-5 p.m.
In an email, Joshua Olsen, a visual arts professor and the gallery director, called it “a great opportunity to celebrate fellow classmates, peers and friends, and to recognize the amazing artwork being made at SCCC. It’s also a chance to support the arts on campus — and enjoy a BBQ lunch while you’re at it!”
Award winners receive a Blick Art Materials gift card and printed certificates with the winners’ names. Certain scholarships are also given out at this time, which either apply to a student’s Suffolk bill or are issued as a check.
Olsen said he is proud of the gallery’s impact, describing it as an “enriching experience.”
“It’s a small gallery at a two-year school, but it packs a big punch in terms of quality and professionalism,” he said. “I see the gallery as the heart — or even the face — of the art department. It’s what people see when they visit, and it’s where the campus community can enjoy fine art, whether created by contemporary artists or their fellow students.”
The gallery is one of the first things visitors see when they walk into the Southampton Building — and it doesn’t disappoint. Though it’s a simple carved-out section of the hall, the space is well used. The ceiling-to-floor area features ceramics and sculpture tables in the center, and paintings and collages lining the walls.
This year, there were more than 100 submissions for the art award, including 3D ceramics, 2D drawings and paintings, and digital animation. The variety of mediums ensures there’s something for everyone.
When choosing what to include, Olsen said he always considers the students. “I intentionally selected one artist working in new media and another in traditional media to offer different experiences. I also reach out to artists and galleries to find someone whose work offers an exciting and educational experience for our students. When selecting artists, I always consider what our students will gain from the exhibition.”
Though the gallery is changed to accommodate pieces, it is always restored to its original form by the end of the semester, offering a fresh new look by the time the next annual award show comes around.
Other artists visit the gallery to give speeches, lectures or talk about their work. It’s an opportunity for Suffolk students and artists interested in learning more and improving their craft to learn from someone new.
