SVA All Staff Art Show

Administrative Access: The History Behind Another Successful All-Staff Art Show

December 16, 2024 by Nivia Hernandez
Group shot of Distinguished Staff Committee

Reception for the “All-Staff Art Show,” SVA Gramercy Gallery 2024. Photos by MJ O’Toole.

Here we get some insight from members of the Distinguished Staff Advisory Group on how SVA’s annual All-Staff Art Show got started and what they love most about it. With the help of SVA Galleries and other offices, the exhibition presents works in various media by the College’s administrative staff members.

Two people looking at a photographic artwork on the wall two people looking at a photographic artwork on the wall

Reception for the “All-Staff Art Show,” SVA Gramercy Gallery 2024. Photos by MJ O’Toole.

Reception for the “All-Staff Art Show,” SVA Gramercy Gallery 2024. Photos by MJ O’Toole.

Who originally conceptualized the idea of having an annual all-staff show?


The All-Staff Art Show started when SVA alumnus Minah Kim (BFA 2013 Design) was planning her thesis and happened to notice the artwork of security guard Harry Sookhai. She was excited to learn that he and other SVA administrators were artists. She asked then BFA Graphic Design Chair Richard Wilde about doing an administrative art show in an SVA gallery as her thesis. Richard reached out to Executive Vice President Anthony P. Rhodes about it. Mr. Rhodes communicated with the chair of the Distinguished Staff Advisory Group, William Berrios, about working with Minah and getting this show started.


What do you love most about it?


During the day-to-day grind, it's easy to forget that so many of our fellow SVA staff members are such talented artists. The All-Staff Art Show allows us all to showcase our own art and to see and appreciate the work of our gifted peers. The opening reception is also a great opportunity to celebrate each other and enjoy each other's company in a re - laxed, fun and supportive environment.


How many staff members participated in the most recent show?


Over 80 staff members participated in the 2024 exhibition. It was a great turnout, but we're hoping to see even more participation next year!



“Taking CE courses at SVA has allowed me to meet mentors and other creatives from different disciplines. It has given me the space to continue with the artistic momentum from my undergraduate days and build upon the leading questions of my practice.” —Stacey Cheng


Lithograph artwork in red color Lithograph artwork in red color

Stacey Cheng, & the fire next time…, 2024, lithograph, 5.5" x 6".

Stacey Cheng, & the fire next time…, 2024, lithograph, 5.5" x 6".

Have our CE courses impacted your creativity and/or art practice? If so, how?


I’ve been able to delve into art processes, such as silversmithing and lithography, that I previously did not have the opportunity to experiment with. Revisiting with a fresh beginner’s mind and experiencing basic craft troubleshooting in a new discipline has expanded my own expectations for my painting practice. Interdisciplinary demands can help dismantle assumptions that can uphold restrictive understandings of mastery and limited visual repertoires. —Stacey Cheng, registration assistant, Registrar


I’ve learned technical skills and new techniques, but more importantly, I’ve learned how to be a creative person and how to keep my practice going. —Miranda Pierce, associate director, Alumni Affairs and Development


As a working professional with a full-time life, taking CE courses has made me budget the time to learn new skills and domains that I would have absolutely never done otherwise. —Eric Corriel, digital strategy director, Visual Arts Press


I’ve found that being around people also interested in a topic is greatly rewarding in terms of how I think about my artwork. It often kicks me out of a routine and forces me to think about what I want to do differently. —Andy Pearlman, lab technician, BFA Illustration

Three people in front of artwork smiling at the camera Three people in front of artwork smiling at the camera

Reception for the “All-Staff Art Show,” SVA Gramercy Gallery 2024. Photos by MJ O’Toole.

Reception for the “All-Staff Art Show,” SVA Gramercy Gallery 2024. Photos by MJ O’Toole.

How has your experience been taking Continuing Education courses at SVA?


Taking CE courses at SVA has allowed me to meet mentors and other creatives from different disciplines. It has given me the space to continue with the artistic momentum from my undergraduate days and build upon the leading questions of my practice. —Stacey Cheng, registration assistant, Registrar


SVA has excellent CE course offerings with instructors who are working artists and designers—they are ex - tremely generous with their time and their knowledge. —Miranda Pierce, associate director, Alumni Affairs and Development


Great! I’ve taken CE courses with my mom, my dad and friends. We share those memories—which also live inside our creations—to this day! —Eric Corriel, digital strategy director, Visual Arts Press

Umbrellas acrylic painted artwork Umbrellas acrylic painted artwork

Andy Pearlman, Umbrellas, 2018, acrylic, 24" x 18"

Andy Pearlman, Umbrellas, 2018, acrylic, 24" x 18"

Has enrolling in a CE course helped you to better connect to the SVA community?


Yes—the staff, students and faculty I’ve worked with more closely have been great. It has been lovely to be able to actively contribute to a community that values mutual support and artistic growth. What’s nice is that we may not all have the same interests, back - grounds and skills, but we all have passions and artistic compulsions that keep us coming back. —Stacey Cheng, registration assistant, Registrar


If you think about how SVA has been around since 1947 and all the different people over the years who have taken one course or more, the community is wide, and I am grateful to count myself as a member of it. —Miranda Pierce, associate director, Alumni Affairs and Development