Art or Merch? Marcy B. Freedman Art Exhibition

A SUNY WCC Center for the Digital Arts Gallery Exhibition

When: Exhibition will run from September 3 through November 24, 2024.
Location: Center for the Digital Arts Gallery, SUNY Westchester Peekskill
27 N Division St, Peekskill, NY 10566

Open to the public!

The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery of the Peekskill Extension of SUNY Westchester is presenting the work of Marcy B. Freedman on view from September 3 through November 24, 2024.

In the mid-nineties, Marcy B. Freedman took an Adobe Photoshop class at the Digital Center for the Arts in Peekskill. Immediately thereafter, she was able to use her newly acquired skills to produce promotional materials for exhibitions of her drawings, paintings, collages, and videos. Decades later, she began to use those same digital tools to make art! In 2020, during the Covid quarantine, Freedman created more than 400 digital collages, in which she merged her love of art history with her passion for surrealism, abstract art and . . . the empowerment of women. At first, she output her digital files as inkjet prints, which were exhibited in local art museums. Eventually, she decided that it would be fun to put some of these images onto tee shirts, mugs, blankets, sweatshirts, and more. Now, the artist sees the distinction between her “art” and the merchandise as superficial. She has concluded that her original digital file – usually a .jpg – is the true work of art! In order to allow the public to ponder this issue, her exhibition will feature inkjet prints, assorted manufactured objects, and a PowerPoint display of the artist’s original jpegs. Let the debate begin!

Marcy B. Freedman is an artist and an art historian with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan in Italian Renaissance Art, and a Master’s degree from Princeton University in Modern Art. She has taught in local colleges and universities, curated exhibitions, and given public lectures in a wide variety of venues. In addition to using traditional art mediums, such as painting and drawing, Freedman has explored video, performance art, and digital collage. Her work has been included in more than 300 exhibitions. She has collaborated with other visual artists on a variety of projects, including live painting performances, public art installations and a monthly newsletter. Freedman has also worked with musicians, writers, and dancers to create multi-media events for local museums, such as Hudson Valley MOCA, the Katonah Museum of Art, and the Hammond Museum.

For more information about Marcy B. Freedman, please visit www.marcybfreedman.com. You may also contact peekskill@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-7300 for opening reception information and viewing hours. For more information about The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery, please visit the SUNY Westchester Peekskill website.