The Museum of Art at 60: A celebration of Hofstra

The Hofstra University Museum of Art is a place you’ve most likely passed at some point on your way to class, whether you’ve seen one of the 75 outdoor sculptures, the Emily Lowe Gallery near Bits & Bytes or the David Filderman Gallery in Axinn Library. If there’s any point in your Hofstra career to visit the Museum of Art, now is the time. The museum is currently proudly celebrating its 60th anniversary in the current exhibition, titled “New Prospectives: The Museum of Art at 60.” The exhibition looks back on its history and focuses on what has made the museum thrive. The Emily Lowe gallery is no large than the size of a classroom- a tour of the museum can take up to 10 minutes or as long as an hour- but it’s a space where students can decompress after a long day. More importantly, the museum provides meaningful experiences by encouraging other perspectives, inviting movement and enhancing how we handle information compared to the stationary crunch of our temporary buffers. Usually, one person or a small group curates a show, but for “The Museum of Art at 60,” staff considered student engagement, the community and faculty in its outreach when finalizing a list of 10 guest curators, all with non-art backgrounds. The curators included a New York state assemblywoman, a local elementary school teacher and a previous Hofstra graduate. There were additional contributions from the provost and university faculty, including members of the Center for “Race,” Culture and Social Justice and the creative arts therapy program.  

The beauty of many backgrounds is the different perspectives, split into 10 themes, including “Our Planet,” “the Year 1963,” “Nature and its Beauty,” “Wood as a Subject” and the inclusion of Gordon Parks’ social issues of race and music among other wonderful themes to view.

The exhibit was initially scheduled to take up both of the museum’s spaces, allowing for even more guest curators which may have included students. Unfortunately, the ongoing renovations to the Axinn Library meant the David Filderman Gallery would be closed until they are completed. In the meantime, the staff has learned to adapt and maximize their available space in the Emily Lowe Gallery, accounting for the 110 individuals at its opening reception, which is a remarkable feat considering the limited area.

As for the pieces themselves, it won’t be long before something will draw you in. The staff intentionally designed their space to enhance your experience but are still very aware of their neutrality. 

“We want to present, we don’t want to preach,” said Sasha Giordano, the director of the Hofstra Museum of Art. “We’re celebrating our collection. We want to look at it in a different way, tell as many stories and reach as many people as we can because that’s our responsibility.” 

Each semester, the museum has a limited number of positions available for students to apply to be gallery assistants or student volunteers, along with a credited internship program. 

Soon, the museum will host two events to welcome the public for a night of connections and conversation. On Oct. 4, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Emily Lowe Gallery, the museum will be hosting a public program, “Conversation with the Curators,” where some of the guest curators will present and discuss the process of their selections. 

Additionally, on Nov. 2, from 5 to 6 p.m., the museum will host “History of the Collection,” an evening focused on the history and development of the museum and its collection from its formation in 1963 to the present.

So, while you have the chance, lose yourself and take advantage of the connections supplied to you in the beauty of creativity, history and culture waiting for you at Hofstra’s art museum.