Public Art & The ArtLords
This special lecture will feature the public artwork of this year's Cohen Institute Scholar, Prof. Jonathan Gitelson. The presentation will feature Gitelson's past public works, his forthcoming public art collaboration with the ArtLords at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, and an overview of the ArtLords presented by several of its members. Participants from ArtLords will include: Marwa Safa Azimi, Negina Azimi, Abdullah Elhan, and Zuhra Nadem.
This free and fully in-person event is open to everyone. Advanced registration is required, though, as seating is limited. Please reserve your seat by March 18.
---
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Prof. Jonathan Gitelson , https://www.jonathangitelson.com/
Jonathan Gitelson received his MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago in 2004 and is a Professor of Art and Design at Keene State College in NH. He works in a variety of mediums that include photography, artist books, video, installation, and public art. Gitelson’s artwork has been exhibited at institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Europe with highlights being MASS MoCA, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Galerie f5,6 in Munich. He has pieces in the permanent collection of numerous institutions that include the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Gitelson is also the augural Cohen Institute Scholar for the 2025-2026 academic year.
ArtLords , https://artlords.co/
"Founded in 2014 in the heart of Kabul, Afghanistan, ArtLords emerged as a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers, driven by the desire to harness the transformative power of art. Our story began with a bold vision: to use the blank walls of Kabul as canvases to paint messages of peace, hope, and social change."
Members of the ArtLords relocated to Brattleboro Vermont as part of the first wave of Afghan refugees in 2022 and have continued to create new public artworks throughout Vermont. They have run art therapy sessions for refugees from other countries, curated screenings of Afghan movies and collaborate with art students throughout the state. Recent commissions have included an installation at Burlington City Arts, a forthcoming work at Middlebury College, and a series of public panels on the exterior of the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.
Please note that speakers' perspectives should not be taken as representative of the Cohen Institute or Keene State College as a whole. The lecture is made possible through donor funding. If you would like to make a gift to support this lecture or other Institute offerings, please visit ourwebsite.
This event is part of the Cohen Institute calendar.
To request accommodations for a disability, please contact the coordinator at least two weeks prior to the event.
