News 2015: Professor Suzanne Schireson discusses her work as a figurative artist

Internationally recognized artist and professor speaks at UMass Dartmouth ARNIE Talk

UMass Dartmouth Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing Suzanne Schireson discussed her own work as a figurative artist, Tuesday, November 10, at UMass Dartmouth’s Claire T. Carney Library Stoico/FIRSTFED Foundation Grand Reading Room. The ARNIE Talk titled As Others See You: Perceptions of the Body Through Figurative Painting, explored Schireson’s artwork in response to her great grandfather’s medical practice as a surgeon during the infancy of plastic surgery.

Professor Schireson’s great grandfather has profoundly affected her work as a figurative artist. Her paintings and animations illuminate the inherent contradictions that underpin his work- the necessity of precision vs. the risk of invention, and the power to heal vs. the fostering of insecurity.

Schireson’s work has been featured both locally and abroad. This year, Smith College featured her solo exhibition entitled Ears May Talk Behind Your Back. Schireson has showcased her work at The China Millennium Monument World Art Museum in Beijing and participated in the 2012 Ecorea Jeonbuk Biennale with exhibitions throughout Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. She has also received numerous awards, including two Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants. Schireson holds an MFA from Indiana University (2008), a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania (2004), and currently live and works in Providence, Rhode Island.

ARNIE (Art. Research. Nexus. Innovation. Education) Talks, modeled after the TED Talks, present short, thought provoking and engaging talks across the colleges at UMass Dartmouth. ARNIE Talks provide graduate students and faculty the opportunity to discuss research and programs, while honoring excellent scholarship on campus and fostering community and culture at the university.

UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant, public research university dedicated to engaged learning and innovative research resulting in personal and lifelong student success. The University serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social, and cultural transformation on a global, national, and regional scale.