Exhibition

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “&” an exhibition of thesis work by 11 senior students in the BFA Visual and Critical Studies program. The exhibition, curated by artist, VCS faculty member, and SVA alumnus Kayla Gibbons (BFA 2011 Fine Arts), will be on view Saturday, January 31, through Wednesday, February 18, at the SVA Flatiron Gallery, Flatiron Windows, and VCS Flatiron Project Space, 133/141 West 21st Street, 1st floor, New York City.

Appearing in the historical record for the first time as anonymous graffiti in the ruined ancient city of Pompeii, the earliest ampersand is an example of a ligature: a single glyph consisting of two or more letters joined together. Born from scribal efficiency, the first-century ampersand joins the letters “e” and “t,” of the Latin word “et,” meaning “and.” Refinement through medieval manuscript culture and early typography transformed the mark into a standardized sign of conjunction, which we recognize now as &. Unlike the spelled-out word “and,” & visually binds two entities into a single unit, expressing a shared purpose or joint identity where neither party is grammatically subordinate. It functions not just as punctuation, but as a signifier of a closer collaboration.

“&” includes work by Celian Bermudez Ayuso, Lucy Rosa Blanca, Gabrielle Humphrey, Mari Lewis, Rachel Maureen Masefield, Rania Mouawad, Anthony O’Donnell, Jingyu William Shi, Natalie Straton, Molly Sullivan, and Sal Tomasi. Working across media as diverse as painting, playwriting, photography, illustration, installation, and sculpture, “&” represents a shared critical dialogue across materials and ideas that is consistent with the ethos of the Visual and Critical Studies department. The works presented in the exhibition privilege exchange over autonomy, proposing meaning as something produced through connection—formed in the interstitial space where materials, disciplines, and perspectives converge.

On the occasion of the opening on February 5, Lucy Rosa Blanca will present a behind-the-scenes viewing of “Sí, es una maldicíon” in Room 101C, followed by a Q&A session with the actors.

For inquiries about available work, please write to kgibbons1@sva.edu.

The SVA Flatiron Gallery and Flatiron Project Space is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm.

The SVA Flatiron Windows is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am–6:00pm. SVA Flatiron Windows is visible from the sidewalk and accessible to wheelchair users.