SNUG HARBOR PRESENTS RECEPTION AND EXHIBITION
OF NEW ART BY SHARP ARTISTS
  Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden announces a public reception and exhibition of new artworks by the two current artists participating in the SHARP/Snug Harbor Artist Residency Program onSaturday, October 3, 2015 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. The reception and exhibition will be held in the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art on the beautiful 83-acre Snug Harbor campus. The two artists featured in the exhibition will be Ashley-Simone McKenzie and Shalisa Chang. Admission is free.
“Since we revised SHARP in 2012, more than 30 promising young artists have completed the 8-week residency program,” said Snug Harbor CEO Lynn Kelly. “The program is rewarding in many ways. It helps young artists acquire the skills and professional credentials to pursue successful careers in the visual arts. At the same time, the program participants bring invigorating new energy to Snug Harbor and the Staten Island artistic community.”
Ashley-Simone McKenzie is an illustrator and photographer from Hempstead, Long Island. She uses digital cameras, paint, permanent markers and pigment pens to create works with both surreal and cartoonish foundations. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Shalisa Chang’s work explores intimate moments of appreciation with a specific place. She has a background in bookbinding, photography and ceramics. She recently completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Wells College in Aurora, NY.
The McKenzie and Chang exhibitions will be mounted at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor through November 14, 2015. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
SHARP/Snug Harbor Artist Residency Program is a fellowship offered by Snug Harbor’s Visual Arts Program, which consists of four consecutive eight-week sessions a year with two emerging artists participating in each session. During the fellowship, the artists have the use of studio and living space in a historic cottage on Snug Harbor’s scenic campus. Each artist receives $1,500 for supplies and materials to create new artistic works. The artists also benefit from a mentoring program of studio visits by participating guest artists and curators, as well as the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art.
Support for the Visual Arts Program and Snug Harbor Artist Residency Program is provided by the New York Department of Cultural Affairs, the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship of the New York Community Trust, and others. The Van Lier Fellowship provides support for talented, culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged young people who are seriously pursuing a career in the arts. SHARP is dedicated to helping artists in all disciplines at the post-BFA college level to make the transition from formal training to professional careers.

 

About Snug Harbor
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is one of the largest ongoing adaptive reuse projects in America. It consists of 26 historical buildings, numerous distinctive botanical gardens and 10 acres of wetlands on a unique 83-acre campus. Formerly Sailors’ Snug Harbor, a home for retired sailors built in the 1800s, Snug Harbor is now a distinguished regional arts center where history, architecture, visual and performing arts, environmental science, agriculture and horticulture provide dynamic experiences for all ages. Snug Harbor is also home to the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children’s Museum and the Staten Island Museum. Snug Harbor is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate.