Estella Loomis McCandless Assistant Professor of Art Sharmistha Ray co-led a sold-out workshop at the American Folk Art Museum and will next deliver a lecture at Oberlin College.
American Folk Art Museum
On November 16, Professor Ray, alongside collaborator Dannielle Tegeder as part of Hilma’s Ghost, led a sold-out workshop at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. The event, “Dialogue + Studio: Magic, Mysticism, and Creativity,” drew inspiration from the museum’s exhibition on Shaker gift drawings and spiritualist art. Participants engaged in hands-on exercises like automatism and tarot, exploring the unseen realm through creativity and ritual. The workshop highlighted feminist and spiritualist traditions, including influences from Hilma af Klint and Emma Kunz.
Oberlin College & Conservatory
Next, Ray will deliver a public lecture for the Studio Art Department at Oberlin College on November 20, sharing insights into their artistic practice, which investigates identity and abstraction through painting, drawing, and collaborative projects. The lecture is supported by Oberlin’s Ellen H. Johnson Endowment for Contemporary Art.