Upcoming Exhibits

a poster with a police officer standing over a person bundled in a blanket lying on an outdoor bench.

Surfacing: A Trio of Exhibitions by MUSE Faculty and Students

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The trio of exhibitions draw attention to ideas, individuals, and cultural and artistic forms that are worthy of further examination. They merit surfacing

Transgressive: From the Guerrilla Girls to Pussy Riot

Curated by RIT Museum Studies Program Director Juilee Decker, Transgressive: From the Guerrilla Girls to Pussy Riot presents cartoons, posters, and prints from both of these feminist, activist collectives. Demonstrating their ability to go beyond mere dart-throwing, the works on view do more than target individuals and institutions: they draw attention to issues, invite viewers to ask “why” injustices persist, and seek to affect change. Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to create and display their own protest art as a means of surfacing transgressions. This exhibition has been developed in collaboration with MCC Gallery Director Jason Flack and RIT City Art Space Director John Aäsp.

Jerrold Smith: The Student, The Craftsman, The Drifter

Gabriella Smith (class of 2025) presents “Jerrold Smith: The Student, The Craftsman, The Drifter” which aims to recover the life and work of jeweler and designer Jerrold B. Smith (1941-1986) who attended, and subsequently taught at, RIT’s School for American Crafts before launching his design career with RayBan.

Ruffles and Rebellion: An Unveiling of Lolita Fashion

Carolyn Lee (class of 2025) presents “Ruffles and Rebellion: An Unveiling of Lolita Fashion” which examines a complex, misunderstood, and (on occasion) extravagant fashion involving Victorian-silhouetted dresses, playful pastel prints, and a lifestyle that ultimately intersects with feminism.

an image of two tombstones with a title: 'Guerrilla Girls   Guerrilla Girls' Code of Ethics for Art Museums'.

Guerrilla Girls Guerrilla Girls' Code of Ethics for Art Museums 1990

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a photograph of an extinct taxidermy Carolina Parrot bird.

The Afterlifes of Natural History - Images by Denis Defibaugh

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The Labrador duck, the great auk and the passenger pigeon—they are long gone, extinct for well over a century. The Afterlife’s of Natural History project focuses on critically endangered and vanished birds, mammals and extinct species that are housed in collections of museums, science centers, and labs. I train my 4x5 view camera lens on these zoological specimens across the country, bringing them to a new, eerily beautiful afterlife, hoping to call attention to their plight and sound a warning about the ongoing demise of many species. 

The specimens are beautiful to look at, finely crafted art, as well as a historical artifact that reminds us how fragile life is. My exploration is a quest in the spirit of the great naturalists. Painter-ornithologist John James Audubon is the most important influence and reference. The film that I use is obsolete and no longer manufactured. Being unprocessed following exposure, the film is in constant oxidation and will eventually become a black sheet of film. The use of this unprocessed Polaroid film is used to photograph the specimen suggests a unity with the objects. These prints are made from scans during the negative’s deterioration process. As technology lead to the end of Polaroid film, there are many reasons for the extinction of a species. Human encroachment, climate change, and environmental or habitat change are historically some of the primary causes that have led to the demise of a species.

Denis Defibaugh is Professor Emeritus, School of Photography, Rochester Institute of Technology. 

a photograph of an extinct taxidermy Ivory Billed Woodpecker bird with transparent overlays of orange and blue.

Ivory Billed Woodpecker

a photograph of an extinct taxidermy Geaspiza Fortis Finch bird.

Geaspiza Fortis Finch

a blurry photographic image of an extinct Great Auk bird.

Great Auk

a photograph of an extinct taxidermy Kakapo bird.

Kakapo

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an upholstered club chair with a basketry like woven back.

Woven by Design - Mindy Magyar

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Mindy Magyar, associate professor, Industrial Design, College of Art and Design presents Woven by Design, a seating collection deeply rooted in the rich tradition of Mi’kmaw black ash basketry. This practice, a cornerstone of Mi’kmaw cultural heritage, faces an existential threat from the emerald ash borer—an invasive beetle from East Asia that has decimated ash tree populations across North America. The relentless spread of this pest has already claimed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, severely impacting the availability of black ash.

As the black ash supply dwindles, the continuity of basket making traditions across the Eastern Woodlands is at risk. In response to this crisis, Magyar's work explores alternative materials for weaving, seeking to honor the essence of Mi’kmaw artistry while adapting to the changing environmental landscape. Through this collection, I aim to raise awareness of the ecological challenges we face and celebrate the resilience and innovation inherent in our cultural practices.

an upholstered wing back chair with a basketry like woven back.
an upholstered wing back chair with a basketry like woven back.
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a series of ten photographic images of a person with changing facial features and different clothing over a ten year span.

of what might yet (have) be(en)

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In 2013-2014 I worked on a series in which I photographed 58 individuals for the series, AndrogynyAndrogyny explored the power and complexity of gender identity through photographic portraits, short films, and a large-scale installation of a non-functioning public restroom where one can hear the audio interviews. The work challenged social constructions of gender and celebrated gender expression and fluidity. 

In the past 10 years, there has been an immense shift in the conversation surrounding gender, including heartening progress and troubling setbacks as gender identity continues to be a politically charged and contested space. For these reasons, I wanted to reconnect with my participants and both interview and photograph them again. It has been a delight to catch-up with folks and hear about each person's ever-emerging identities. The consensus thus far among participants is there has been progress but there is still a long road ahead of us and visibility and representation are critical. of what might yet (have) be(en)* seeks to stake a claim for difference while at the same time claiming belonging.

*The title of what might yet (have) be(en) is a sentence fragment pulled from Karen Barad’s Transmaterialities: Trans*/Matter/Realities and Queer Political Imaginings. 

- Lois Bielefeld


 

a black and white photograph of a long paved road lined with tall trees on each side.

Ancestral Roads: A Journey through Time, Place, and Memory in Poland and Beyond

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In his first major photographic exhibition, Dr. Brian Tomaszewski, a professor in RIT’s B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, presents a compelling reflection on how both the past and present shape our understanding of identity, history, and place. Through evocative images of the Polish landscapes his ancestors left over 130 years ago, Tomaszewski invites viewers to explore themes of migration and memory.

In the late 19th century, millions were forced to leave Poland due to political and cultural oppression, including Tomaszewski's own forebears. With the support of a prestigious Fulbright scholarship, Tomaszewski spent nine months (2023–2024) in Poland applying spatial data science to understand the ongoing forced migration of Ukrainian refugees into Poland after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. This experience led him to reimagine his own ancestral history of displacement, tracing the paths his relatives once walked, camera in hand, through the landscapes described in 19th-century historical documents. No photographs of his ancestors remain, but this exhibit captures the echoes of the past through the places they left behind.

This exhibit is a blend of historical geography and personal reflection. It examines how the past continues to shape the present and explores the lives of those who stayed behind after Tomaszewski's ancestors departed. It also serves as a poignant reminder of how issues of migration and displacement—whether 130 years ago or today—remain strikingly relevant.

Dr. Brian Tomaszewski holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Penn State University and has been a faculty member at RIT for 16 years. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers and is the author of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Management published by Routledge press and adopted globally. His extensive research, recognized with over $5,000,000 in funding from sources such as the U.S. National Science Foundation, includes collaborations with prestigious United Nations organizations.

Beyond academia, Tomaszewski is a multifaceted artist. His passion for travel, inspired by his academic career, fuels his music and photography. A talented 5-string banjo and guitar player, he regularly performs across Upstate New York, crafting intricate multi-cultural solo performances that recreate the sound of a full band. His photography seeks to capture the unique beauty of the natural world and tell powerful stories of people, places, and experiences.

a saturated color photograph off a green tractor in front of a dilapidated masonry building with a watch tower under a brilliant blue sky with puffy clouds.

Agriculture Scene Wapno Poland

a color photograph of the back of a protestor holding a large red and white flag.

Farmer Protest. Poznań Poland

a color photograph of a boarded up double door entry to a brick building.

Abandonded Train Station. Janowiec Wielkopolski Poland

photo portrait of a smiling woman with a baseball cap.

Resident Brudzyń Poland

a color photograph of the interior of an ornate   handpainted walls with golden ribbons strung from the ceiling in a historic church chapel

Historic wooden Church Tarnowo Pałuckie Poland

a color photograph of an austere four story block building painted bright orange with a green roof against a cloudy sky.

Apartment Building Wągrowiec Powiat Wielkopolska Poland

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