Master's of Art Education 2020 Exhibition

Master’s of
Art Education
Exhibition ‘20

Opening December 12, 2020
3:00PM
Exhibition runs through January 10, 2020
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
Florida International University
10975 S.W. 17th Street
Miami, FL, 33199
Visit the Museum:
www.frost.fiu.edu

Jordana Pomeroy, Ph.D.
Director
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
Florida International University
This is the twelfth year that the Patricia & Philip Frost
Art Museum has featured works by students graduating
from the Master’s of Art Education program in the College
of Communication, Architecture + The Arts at Florida
international University.
Prof. David Y. Chang’s rigorous practice of painting and
drawing is reflected in the consistently high quality of the
works by students who are graduating from this program. As
an artist with an international reputation, Professor Chang
brings to FIU and the Frost Art Museum a program in which
students can explore the potential of their own talents.
We are proud to exhibit these two budding artsists -
whose works are informed by personal experience, keen
observation, and questions of identity - as part of our
continuing support of FIU’s art curricula.

Brian Schriner
Dean
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
Florida International University
Dear graduates,
On behalf of the College of Communication, Architecture
+ The Arts, congratulations!
I am very proud of you and the work you have created
under the guidance and mentorship of Professor David Y.
Chang. Your artistic talents, contributions, and desire to
continuously improve are the fuel that drives our College and
our community.
As you begin your career or continue your studies, I know
that you will be well prepared to lead in your field, and you will
continue to create, innovate, and inspire.
Congratulations!
Brian

David Y. Chang
Professor of Art & Chair
Department of Art and Art History
Florida International University
It is with special pride that we present to you these two
talented individuals, Grace Cox and Julie Orsini Shakher, who
have just completed their rigorous program of study for the
Master’s degree in Art Education at Florida International
University.
As their major professor, it has been a privilege to witness
their artistic and educational growth. While their curriculum of
study has been consistent in both art educational theory and
studio practice, their artistic expressions are divergent
through various media. Cox’s large-scale paintings, informed
by personal experience, investigate gender norms by
highlighting women skateboarders. Orsini Shakher uses
silverpoint to explore global ecologies and the climate crises.
The focus of their research has resulted in artistic
compositions that emit temporal and spatial energies. They
cross cultural and national boundaries, which are therefore
global in nature. This exhibition marks a new level of artistic
inquiry and professional advancement in the career of these
artists and educators.

Jordana Pomeroy, Ph.D.
Director
GRACE COX
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
Florida International University
gr4cecox@gmail.com
This series is inspired by what the
presence of women in the world of
skateboarding means to me. They may
seem rough, weak, and imperfect to
the masses, but there is much power in
women tackling a sport that is still maledominated.
These women in particular are
part of a skateboarding community in New
York, and they are also my friends. One of
them is a mother, all have corporate jobs,
and all of them are surpassing cultural
norms in a non-traditional way through
skateboarding. I can see all that they go
through - sweat and blood, bruises, scabs
and broken bones - but they proceed with
pure fearlessness, the courage to believe
in themselves and all the while pushing
the progression of women in this sport. I
want to present them in a way that
demands respect because the viewer has
to look up at them.
Oil is a medium with a rich history in art,
though it has been used mainly for
portraiture of noble men and women. In
the history of art, women aren’t always
portrayed as bold and fearless. They have
often been depicted for their elegance
and delicate beauty, so by using this
medium to record women doing
something other than sitting delicately, I
am attempting to historically contribute
authentically powerful images of women
to the world.
I want this series to demand respect
without sacrificing authenticity. Although
these women are meant to be taken
seriously, I wanted to make sure that this
series reflects what it feels like to be in the
skateboarding community as a woman.
These women are all skating together, and
can be seen smiling, laughing, and having
fun; this is what it means to have a
supportive community.

Cami, 2020
Oil on Canvas • 72 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Natalie, 2020
Oil on Canvas • 72 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Niki and Chris, 2020
Oil on Canvas • 72 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Armie, 2020
Oil on Canvas • 72 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

The Crew, 2020
Oil on Canvas • 72 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Jordana Pomeroy, Ph.D.
Director
JULIE ORSINI SHAKHER
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
orsinishakher@me.com
Florida International University
I am of Cuban American Italian
Origin, born in Brooklyn, New York, and
raised in Miami, Florida. I have received
a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Drawing and
Painting and I am now completing my
Masters of Art Education from Florida
International University.
As a figurative artist, I work in a variety
of mediums. This body of work is done in
silverpoint- a medium that is historical and
permanent. My goal is to bring this ancient
form of drawing to a contemporary
platform. My work is based on the magical
quintessence of nature, which is the
crucible of global equilibrium. There is only
thirty five percent of pure wilderness left
on our ailing planet today. Without nature,
where would we stand? Separated from a
stream of water? A sunset? The call of the
Mayan? I want the viewer to be enthralled
by the beauty of nature and be forced to
reminisce about our existence with it.
These romantic scenes urge us to reflect
on the balance of ecosystems and the
beautiful biodiversity of the natural world
and how it is entwined with humanity. My
wish for the viewer is to reflect upon the
harmony of this coexistence.

Into the Garden, 2020
Silverpoint on gessoed Luan board • 60 x 40 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Panchavati No 1, 2020
Silverpoint on gessoed Luan board • 64 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Panchavati No 2, 2020
Silverpoint on gessoed Luan board • 64 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Panchavati No 3, 2020
Silverpoint on gessoed Luan board • 64 x 48 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Magical Forrest No 1, 2020
Silverpoint on gessoed Luan board • 72 x 36 inches • Courtesy of the artist

Master’s of
Art Education
Exhibition ‘20
If you wish to become a better artist and graduate with a degree that
truly prepares you for an artistic career and a job teaching what you
love, visit carta.fiu.edu/arts for information regarding the Bachelor’s
and Master’s degree programs in Art Education.
The curriculum of these FIU art education degree programs offers
a wide variety of opportunities for in-depth study and quality training
through atelier art experiences, theoretical preparation, as well as
global prospective through our popular study abroad courses in Italy,
France and China.
Graduates from these degree programs have distinguished themselves
as art professional with recognitions such as top award winners
in art competitions nationally, Florida Art Educator of the year
awards, President of Florida Education Association, President of Dade
County Art Educators Association, District Art Supervisor, college and
university art professorships and more. . .

Master’s of
Art Education
Exhibition ‘20
ARTISTS
Grace Cox
Julie Orsini Shakher