The Shop reopening at Cohen Gallery

Alfred University’s Cohen Gallery Thursday celebrated the re-opening of The Shop at Cohen Gallery, together with a reception for the Gallery’s hosting of Assistant Professor of Sculpture Joann Quiñones’ exhibition, Nuyorican.

The Shop at Cohen Gallery will feature fine arts and crafts by Alfred University faculty and staff; the artwork is available for purchase.

Nuyorican, which will be exhibited through April 30, borrows its name from the expression referring to the migration, or diaspora, of Puerto Ricans during the 1950s and 1960s to the United States. Originally meant as an insult, “Nuyorican” was reclaimed by a generation of artists, poets, and social activists living in New York as a way of addressing the intricacies of a new, hybrid identity.

In developing Nuyorican, Quiñones worked closely with the Exhibition Design Class of Sharon McConnell, Director of the School of Art and Design Galleries, on the curation, lay out, signage, hanging and lighting of the exhibition, pairing poetry by Nuyorican poets with their own mixed media works, and highlighting a queer, Afro-Latinx identity.

Enthusiastic about the outcome, McConnell says, "The opportunity for the students to work directly with an artist like Joann, building the exhibition from conception to completion, was very rewarding for everyone involved.  Joann was very generous with the students, and the end results are exceptional."