Happy New Year! With 2020 finally behind us, hope is high for better times. With that in mind, in this issue, we wanted to reflect on recent graduates who use their talents to bring focus to causes larger than themselves.

POP-UP GALLERY OFF THE MARGINS, founded by Jason Branch (MFA 2019 Interaction Design), hosted Goliath: An Art Exhibition for Those Affected by Homelessness in the spring of 2019. While getting his master’s, Branch befriended a street artist named Daniel Sostheim near the College. This friendship inspired him to host an exhibition for Sostheim’s work—the show’s name, Goliath, was a nod to the artist’s large stature. Over time, however, the scope of the show grew to include more than 15 artists.

Through a Kickstarter campaign, Branch raised $4,200 and launched the exhibit. More than half the works sold, with proceeds going to the artists and the Bowery Mission, a New York City institution helping the homeless since the 1870s.

“From graduation, commencement speeches, to working life, I think this is my crowning achievement, my most prized accomplishment,” Branch said. (Branch gave the master’s candidates’ address at SVA’s 2019 Commencement.)

ART THERAPIST AND ARTIST HOLLY BRENNAN (MPS 2019 Art Therapy) shared her creative skills at a group home in Brooklyn that provides shelter and support for individuals formerly suffering from homelessness and severe mental illness. Brennan had residents collaborate on creating mosaic tiles for the home’s backyard. She quickly saw them embrace the project, taking risks and incorporating found objects into their tile pieces. “Participants went from being passive recipients to actively creating self-directed artwork together,” she said.

For a population whose circumstances can create shame and stigma, art-making can help develop connection and pride. “Group members strategically placed their mosaic tiles in spaces in the backyard where they could see them from their apartment windows,” Brennan stated, “signaling their increased sense of belonging and ownership of their shared living space.”

ALUMNUS MANUELA REYES RESTREPO (MA 2016 Curatorial Practice) developed Single-Use Planet: A Call-to-Action from the Artists of the Americas for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where she works as a senior associate of Arts and Transformation.

Through financial and technical assistance, the IDB aims to combat poverty and inequality and improve health, education and infrastructure throughout Latin American and the Caribbean—in a way that is sustainable and climate-friendly.

Single-Use Planet featured “eco-activist artists” using throw-away items (soccer balls, plastic baby bottles, flip-flops) as material and subjects of their works—recycling them into art objects while bringing awareness to waste. The exhibition, initially held at the IDB Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., is available to view virtually.

Self Portrait, Sea Wind Avenue, from Salton Sea, 2014

Lens-based artist Johnnie Chatman’s (MFA 2020 Photography, Video and Related Media) work is touring in two group exhibitions.

SVA is preparing for in-person learning for fall 2021. Look here for updates.

SVA offers a multidisciplinary approach to advanced studies in the arts. Internationally renowned faculty teaching dynamic curriculum define us as a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Learn more about us online: sva.edu/grad.