Photographers, Painters, Sculptors and Alumni Artists to be Featured at LoKo Festival

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A painting by Heather LaForce ’07, who will speak at the Lougheed-Kofoed Festival of the Arts at SUNY Potsdam.

• “The Lifecycle,” a work by Torrance Fish ’97, who will return to his alma mater as a visiting artist during the 2016 LoKo Festival.
• Tesfa Alexander ’02 photographed Leon S. from Fort Myers, Fla., for this image from his “I AM” photo project.

POTSDAM, NY (04/29/2016)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will explode with artistry during the 2016 Lougheed-Kofoed Festival of the Arts, with an array of incredible exhibitions and installations, plus a great line-up of guest artists, from April 29 to May 8.

The LoKo Festival will welcome a number of visiting artists and accomplished alumni to campus.

The internationally renowned photographer Douglas Beasley will offer hands-on workshops. After receiving a BFA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he also studied Eastern Religions and Native American culture, Beasley worked for several prominent commercial photo studios as a photo and darkroom assistant. Both helped him develop an appreciation for attention to detail, lighting and technical proficiency, but left him longing for artistic self-expression. He then opened his own studio in Minneapolis, Minn., emphasizing commercial and editorial fashion. This evolved into shooting extensively throughout the country and internationally for various advertising, educational, public service and non-profit clients. Beasley currently works on fine-art based commercial projects around the world.

Tesfa Alexander '02 will showcase his "I AM" photo project, which celebrates the lives, struggles and joys of black men across the United States. An accomplished photographer, Alexander is currently the direct of research and evaluation in the Office of Health Communication and Education at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products.

The Art Museum at SUNY Potsdam and the College's Department of Art will sponsor a number of exhibits and presentations during the LoKo Festival.

All events are free, and the public is invited to attend. For a full schedule of events, visit www.potsdam.edu/loko.

The festival's art highlights include:

• Friday, April 29: Tesfa Alexander '02 will discuss his powerful "I AM" photo project, highlighting the self-defined identities of black men around the country, in a presentation at 1 p.m. in Brainerd Hall Room 202. The internationally renowned photographer Douglas Beasley will lead a lecture about finding your own voice and vision, at 3:30 p.m., also in Brainerd 202. There will be an opening reception for the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art Alumni and "I AM" exhibitions, at 5 p.m. in the Roland Gibson Gallery.
• Saturday, April 30: Beasley will lead a photography workshop from 9 a.m. to noon in Ives Park in downtown Potsdam. Some large format and "toy" film cameras will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own digital cameras. The rain location for this workshop is the lobby of the Performing Arts Center.
• Sunday, May 1: Beasley will lead a workshop on photographic film development with a darkroom printing demonstration from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Brainerd Hall Room 203.
• Monday, May 2: Heather LaForce '07 will offer a presentation on the literal materials and subject matter that influence her work, at 4 p.m. in Brainerd Hall Room 215.
• Tuesday, May 3: Sculptor Caroline Ramersdorfer will offer a presentation on projects in dialogue at 7 p.m. in Brainerd 202.
• Wednesday, May 4: Printmaker Nate Infante '04 will offer a demonstration at 2 p.m. in Brainerd Hall Room 204. The fifth annual Festival of Light will showcase a menagerie of illuminated artworks by students lighting up the Academic Quad at dusk. The rain date for this event is Thursday, May 5.
• Thursday, May 5: Torrance Fish '97, an artist, educator and museum professional, will offer a presentation about his unexpected path through the art world at 4 p.m. in Brainerd 202. Mia Brownell will offer a presentation, titled "Delightful, Delicious, Disgusting," about how she uses the conventions of painted food still life to comment on contemporary issues surrounding food, at 6 p.m. in Brainerd 202.
• Friday, May 6: Martin Kruck will discuss his approach to photography and printmaking at 6 p.m. in Brainerd 202.

The Art Museum at SUNY Potsdam will present the annual Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, featuring works by graduating seniors from the College's selective BFA program in visual arts, during the LoKo Festival. In addition, the Gibson Gallery will also feature the Art Alumni Invitational and the "I AM" photo exhibit. These exhibitions will be on display in the Gibson Gallery through May 21. Admission to the Gibson Gallery, located at Brainerd Hall, is free, and the exhibition space is handicapped-accessible. The museum is open to the public from noon until 5 p.m. on Monday and Friday, from noon until 7 p.m. from Tuesday through Thursday, and from noon until 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

There will also be an exhibition, "The Maya Yucatan," featuring works created by SUNY Potsdam Professor of Art Mark Huff, on display in the Hosmer Gallery at The Crane School of Music.

For more information about these exhibits, call (315) 267-3290 or visit www.potsdam.edu/museum.

Art students at SUNY Potsdam live, create and study in a unique art environment within the context of a stimulating liberal arts tradition. Art students have the advantage of working closely and sharing ideas with other creative people in music, dance, drama and writing. This total art environment provides a challenging stimulus and has given the SUNY Potsdam art program a reputation for excellence. For more information about the College's Department of Art, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Art.

These are just a few of the many guest artists taking part in this year's festival. To keep up with the latest, visit www.facebook.com/lokofestival.

North Country Public Radio is the media sponsor for the 2016 Lougheed-Kofoed Festival of the Arts at SUNY Potsdam.

For a full schedule and listing of events, visit www.potsdam.edu/loko.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of only three arts campuses in the entire SUNY system. SUNY Potsdam's arts curriculum offers the full palette: music, theatre, dance, fine arts and creative writing. No matter the discipline, people from all backgrounds can find their creative compass at Potsdam, with myriad arts immersion experiences available for both campus and community.

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