POTSDAM, NY (04/20/2015)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will explode with artistry during the Lougheed-Kofoed Festival of the Arts, with an array of incredible exhibitions and installations, plus a great line-up of guest artists, from April 24 to May 3.
The Loko Festival will welcome a number of visiting artists to campus, including SUNY Potsdam alumnus Todd McGrain '83. McGrain is the multitalented sculptor, filmmaker, author and creative director behind "The Lost Bird Project." He has created incredible sculpted memorials to five extinct species of North American birds, which have each been permanently placed at locations in the birds' former habitats, and were also displayed at the Smithsonian. A documentary about the project is airing on public television nationwide this spring. McGrain is the artist-in-residence at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and is the winner of the 2014 Audubon Award for Art Inspiring Conservation. He will offer a performance and discussion about his artistic process on Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in Brainerd Hall Room 202, followed by a screening of the documentary film "The Lost Bird Project," at 7:30 p.m. in Kellas Hall Room 101.
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:
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 festival. The BFA Exhibition will be on display in the Roland Gibson Gallery through May 17. 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 a showcase of works by accomplished SUNY Potsdam art alumni throughout the festival in the Hosmer Gallery, located at The Crane School of Music. The Art Alumni Invitational features works by Mary Anne Evans '95, ceramics; Kate Gesel '11, printmaking; Emily Glass '06, painting; Danielle Johns '05, printmaking, and Liza LaBarge '12, drawing. There will be a reception with the alumni artists on Tuesday, April 28 at 5 p.m. in the gallery.
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/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 2015 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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