Focus on Fine Arts

MEET OUR FACULTY

Rebecca Pelchar

Rebecca Pelchar is director of the college’s Visual Arts Gallery in Dearlove Hall.

Small class sizes help students see the bigger picture

Rebecca Pelchar helps students of all majors connect to art.

“Fine art is important at a community college because it relates to so many disciplines,” said Pelchar, assistant professor of art history. “In our art classes — including studio art and art history — we talk about color theory, the chemistry of color, engineering and three-dimensional models, anatomy and physiology, history, society and culture.”

Pelchar, who instructs art history and museum studies, finds the smaller class size of a community college to be conducive to learning.

“I enjoy getting to know the students. I enjoy being able to know each of them personally. It’s nice to have that connection,” she said.

Her museum studies students often form bonds as they tour some of the region’s top institutions, include The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, The Frick Collection and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Harvard Art Museums in Boston.

“It’s really exciting to bring students who haven't been outside the area and take them through these larger museums for the first time,” Pelchar said.

The international education trips she developed have also been an effective way to expose students to the history of art and culture around the world and provide unique opportunities for travel-abroad experiences. In 2021, she is one of several faculty members taking students to Colombia. In the past, she traveled with college groups to a number of locations, including Great Britain and Greece.

In addition to her work as an instructor, Pelchar serves as director of the college’s Visual Arts Gallery in Dearlove Hall and oversees the campus art collection.

“My background is in museum work. Organizing and mounting exhibitions is really enjoyable for me,” she said.

Did you know?

SUNY Adirondack has around 2,000 works of art — including work from local and internationally respected artists — in its permanent collection.

 

Katherine Patterson stands in the LARAC gallery.

Artist Katherine Patterson is featured in ‘Space Between’ at the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council’s gallery in Glens Falls.

Artist shares personal ‘Space’ in gallery show

Artist Katherine Patterson, an adjunct professor at SUNY Adirondack, wants people to pay closer attention to the world around them.

Patterson’s recent art, which explores landscape and memory, was featured in “Space Between,” a three-person exhibit at the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council gallery in Glens Falls.

Referring to the show’s title, Patterson said, “My work evokes both near and far, like two ends of a telescope.”

Her work in the show includes silverpoint drawings on vellum and oil paintings. Some of the images represent the local landscape of Patterson’s backyard in Glens Falls, while others take on a more distant, ethereal perspective of skies drawn from vintage photographs. 

“This show is special to me because I am able to share the work with the very community in which it was made,” she said.

Patterson also was included in another three-person show, “Memory, Form, Life,” at Saratoga Arts Center.

As an instructor of two-dimensional design and drawing classes, Patterson encourages her students, whether they are taking a class as a Fine Arts major or as an elective, to look more deeply at their surroundings.

“Art is an essential educational choice ( for all humans),” said Patterson, who will attend a summer residency at MassMOCA. “One drawing class can help people discover more beauty in the world.”

 

MEET OUR STUDENTS

Emma Paladini is exploring her interest in Fine Arts as a student at SUNY Adirondack.

Emma Paladini is exploring her interest in Fine Arts as a student at SUNY Adirondack.

Student shares love of art

Being an artist is more than just a stage for Emma Paladini.

The Saratoga Springs student, originally from Toulouse, France, is pursuing her dreams as a Fine Arts major.

“I’ve always loved drawing, and I want to follow my passion,” Paladini said.

Taking classes at SUNY Adirondack has helped her develop her natural talent.

“My favorite class so far is figure drawing. It was very freeing,” she said. “It introduces you to great historical artists and teaches you the understanding of the human form.”

In the Fall semester, Paladini collaborated with another Fine Arts major, William Perelli, to paint backdrops for the college’s theater production of “Waiting for Lefty.”

“I had to learn how to collaborate with another artist and cooperate so our styles worked well together. The people from the theater were very nice and outgoing,” Paladini said.

Paladini, who plans to transfer to a four-year college after graduating from SUNY Adirondack in the spring, is thankful she stayed local to grow her foundational skills.

“I would recommend SUNY Adirondack for a first step toward an art career,” she said.

 

MEET OUR ALUMNI

Jacob Houston of Greenwich has become recognized across the region for his colorful paintings.
“The teachers were really friendly, and it helped me grow. I felt very independent at SUNY Adirondack.” — Jacob Houston, SUNY Adirondack alumnus showcased in 2019 solo art show at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls

 

Anthony Richichi stands in his studio.

Anthony Richichi is actively involved in the arts revival in the Glens Falls region.

Artist develops local creative opportunities

Anthony Richichi is an artist with hustle.

“My artistic career has been snowballing. The opportunities come in, and I’ve learned to make the best of them,” Richichi said. 

The Glens Falls native, who attended SUNY Adirondack, has been an activist for the region’s art renaissance. He has worked closely with The Hyde Collection, Adirondack Theater Festival and Adirondack Film Festival on special projects, and he serves as a board member and lead artistic designer for Art In the Public Eye, co-founding the nonprofit’s annual GEM Fest (Glens Falls Entertainment and Music Festival ). 

“We want to immerse the city in a total collection of art, including live music, visual art, a mini film festival and theater performances,” Richichi said of the event. “It’s a showcase of all the talent that is here in our region.”

He has also earned a reputation for his paintings and illustration work.

Richichi’s first solo show, “Through the Eyes,” was recently shown at North Country Arts Gallery in Glens Falls City Hall.

He has illustrated more than a dozen comics, and he has done commissioned sketches for trading card sets, including an “X-Files” series, published by Upper Deck, 20th Century Fox and Dynamite Entertainment.

“I grew up a huge sports fan and collected sports cards, still have a collection. It’s really wild to come full circle and produce things for companies you have followed since you were a little kid,” he said.

Richichi credits SUNY Adirondack’s art faculty with helping him develop his craft.

“It was a good foundation. I took a variety of classes, including painting, figure drawing, technical drawing and sculpture,” he said.

The college’s recent addition of a Fine Arts degree seems like a natural fit for the region, according to Richichi.

“There’s such a strong arts community in Glens Falls, and it’s just down the road from SUNY Adirondack,” he said.