During our trip to Berlin, the second year grads had the opportunity to visit Isabel Monti, a former graduate from the Alfred-Düsseldorf program that now lives and works in Berlin! She welcomed us into her studio, engaging us in conversation regarding her work, acclimation to Berlin, and our program. Seeing several of her paintings, both finished and in progress, was wonderful as she walked us through her focus and the development of her work.

Last week, second year grad Chloe Smith participated in Mile 46 Art For Change Phase 5, a mural arts initiative based in Kajaido, Kenya. Chloe joined 30 other African and international artists for a week-long residency in the Maasai village of Mile 46, adding colorful murals and signage to the metal structures of area homes and businesses. The initiative began in 2021 and has recurred annually as an effort to amplify the community’s needs and jumpstart economic interest in Mile 46, an area suffering from the effects of climate change which has disrupted the Maasai people’s pastoral way of life. Throughout the week, paid local volunteers assisted with the painting, and children engaged with the artists while they worked, while both artists and locals participated in meaningful cultural exchange, fostering understanding and care across geographic and cultural lines. Chloe also brought along paintings inspired by her first experience at Mile 46 in 2025 as gifts for fellow artists and project participants.

The second year graduates recently visited Gallery Kadel Willborn with professors Jutta Haeckel and Katrin Laade. The show “Fruit of the Loom: Vivian Greven in Dialogue with Lambert Maria Wintersberger” showcases works by both contemporary painter Greven and Wintersberger, who provided rich inspiration for Greven’s approach. Experiencing the paintings in person allowed us to appreciate the intricate nature of the works, with carefully managed edges and soft transitions from hue to hue. The size of the works was also impressive, from larger works that created a distinct bodily experience and smaller ones that called for close intimacy. The visit portrayed intricate ties between the artists, the influence carried across the decades, and the strength of a particularly consistent and clearcut approach to painting.

A few weekends ago, the 2nd year grads went to Amsterdam with professor Katrin Laade, whose past experience living in Amsterdam was an incredible help! The trip was filled with museum and gallery visits, as well as exploratory walking to see the life of a different city. Following our arrival on Thursday, we visited the Stedelijk Museum, which specializes in modern and contemporary art and design. There we experienced both the Yayoi Kusama exhibit and the permanent collection, including artists such as Yassine Ben Abdallah, Helen Frankenthaler, and Marlow Moss. The range within the museum allowed for fresh contrasts between sculptors and painters, their curation bringing works into fascinating conversation with one another. Friday began with a visit to the Van Gogh Museum where we saw the progression of Van Gogh’s work from a muted Dutch palette to vibrant, freeflowing colors and expressive brushwork. The installation of work by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi from the Van Gogh family’s collection also clearly articulated how Van Gogh drew inspiration from Japanese woodcut prints. In the afternoon we visited the Rijksmuseum, which houses masterpieces by Old Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as a sprawling collection of Modern and Contemporary works. The following day we experienced the work of Rembrandt in a more intimate manner through a visit to the Rembrandt House Museum where we saw his studio, a range of etchings, and a demonstration of mixing paint from scratch. We returned Saturday evening feeling refreshed and excited to work!

Application fee waived except for the $10 slide room fee

This was a busy weekend for us! It began with a full group critique on Friday morning, with professors from both New York and Düsseldorf providing feedback and reactions to the direction of our work. Kunstpunkte for us started Friday evening with a barbeque celebration, and continued over the weekend as both artists and art enthusiasts passed through our studios. It was particularly enjoyable to converse with several artist friends, whom we have seen continually at other openings around Düsseldorf, about our work on Friday, and we are so grateful for all who came! We visited several other studios and installations as well, including those of Birgit Jensen, Dunja Evers, and the joint exhibition of Vera Vorneweg and Ted Green. On Sunday, Frank Schablewski led a tour group through our studios, bringing another fresh perspective to interpretations of our work. This program’s unique ability to connect with the artistic community here in Düsseldorf has continually reshaped our perspectives and driven our work forward.

We are so excited to participate in Kunstpunkte this weekend! We have spent most of today breaking down our painting spaces and installing our works so that the studios are ready for all who come by. Our professors Stephanie McMahon and Patrick Brennan flew in from the US to participate as well, and all students & professors will meet tomorrow for a large group critique. Friday evening we will have a public BBQ to commemorate the beginning of our open studios, so feel free to come by Mindener Straße 33a from 5.30 on tomorrow if you’re in the area!!

This past weekend we visited galleries during DC Open (Düsseldorf-Cologne Open Galleries) & attended the Finissage, or closing, of the group show “a beautiful place nearby” at 15 Wochen. DC Open spanned from the 4th to 6th, and our cohort, along with our professor Katrin Laade, walked through galleries in the Flingern area of Düsseldorf on Friday evening. These included Konrad Fischer Galerie, where David Douard’s works were on display, and Galerie Pfab, with the works of Aneta Kajzer and Ilse Henin. It was incredible to see the span of works being created and the manner in which the curators wove together various artists.

The Finissage of “a beautiful place nearby” was on Sunday, with drinks, snacks, and live music. The show harmoniously wove together ideas of sustainability, conservation, and the beauty of the natural environment through the work of artists Marie Althöfer, Daniela Baumann, Ulrike Möschel, and Beatrice Richter (one of our program liasons!). We were fortunate enough to talk with the curator Nicole Oversohl-Heusinger, who told us more about both the ideals of the show and the artists behind it. It was a wonderful time celebrating Beatrice’s closing and enjoying the improvisational music in the back garden!

The 2nd Year Painting Grads have just returned to Düsseldorf! We are settling back into our studios, and excited to start working soon following a visit to Boesner for supplies tomorrow. 

This weekend, we will visit the Düsseldorf Cologne Open Galleries as spaces open for the new exhibition season and see a range of the contemporary work being created in this area. We are also looking forward to attending the closing for the group show “a beautiful place nearby” that Beatrice Richter, one of our program liasons, participated in at Fünfzehnwochen!

We are excited to welcome Erika b Hess as a Visiting Artist this semester!

Thursday, October 29th

9-10am Holmes Auditorium

Erika b Hess is a painter, the Sydelle Sonkin and Herb Siegel Artistic Director of Chautauqua Visual Arts, and the creator and host of the art podcast I Like Your Work. Her work has been exhibited nationally at Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York; Middle Room Gallery, Los Angeles; and Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia. Her work is held in public and corporate collections including JetBlue at Logan International Airport, Fidelity Investments, and MetroHealth. Hess maintains a studio practice in Columbus, Ohio, with a select inventory of work in Long Island City, New York. She is represented by Contemporary Art Matters. Hess received her BFA from Wright State University and her MFA from Boston University.

IMAGE: 

Crossing

Oil on canvas

20″ x 16″

2026