From Tuesday, September 23, 2025, to Thursday, September 25, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort visited the one and only Amsterdam! We arrived by train at the Central Station, placed our belongings at the hotel, and were swept up into the reverie of the city.

Over the course of the next few days, we experienced much of the great art that Amsterdam has to offer. On day one, we visited the Stedelijk Museum, the city’s largest venue for contemporary art. The next day, we went to the Van Gogh Museum and roamed the halls of the Rijksmuseum, which houses the works of Dutch legends Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. It was especially unique to witness the presentation of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, which is staged in a glass room, where the public can witness the conservation process. Finally, we wrapped up our visit at Rembrandt’s historic home.

📸 Max Heaton

On Monday, September 22, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort had the pleasure of welcoming photographer Kai Schmidt to the studios for a photography workshop! Kai is a graduate of the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf and a former pupil of our very own Stefan Kürten. Kai spent a full day with us in the studios, schooling us on various photography considerations, so that we can document our work via the camera. There is no doubt that the contemporary artist must be concerned with photography when applying for residency, open call, etc.

Some wise words from Kai, when considering photography, our work:

• Avoid many light sources, work with one single light quality; isolate the lighting as to work with one light source (pick natural or staged lighting, not both), and utilize indirect lighting.
• Use a tripod; micro movement will result in poorer quality.
• Place the camera in the middle of your picture and take the shot.
• If you are new to photography, build up your skills slowly.

📸 Max Heaton

From Friday, September 12, 2025, to Sunday, September 14, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort took part in Kunstpunkte, an all-city celebration of artist open studios in Düsseldorf. In preparation for the event, we cleaned up the studios, converted them to a temporary gallery space, and hung our work on the walls. Before the event, we critiqued our work and dialed in our art handling concerns.

Drum roll, please … work has been sold! The majority of our group sold their work to patrons who visited the studios. As artists, it is important to have our work be seen and be sold to people who put the work on their walls at home. Düsseldorf is a city with a genuine concern and curiosity for fine art. To participate in an event such as Kunstpunkte situates us artists in a place that is a part of art history. To show our work to the public in such a place as Düsseldorf is a meaningful experience. Thank you to Beatrice Richter and Frank Schlablewski who ushered in guided tours, all who came to look at our art!

On Friday, September 12, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort took part in an international group crit! Alfred professors Stephanie McMahon, Patrick Brennan, and John Hee Taek Chae made the journey from Alfred, NY, to Düsseldorf, Germany, to join Düsseldorf professors Jutta Haeckel and Stefan Kürten to group critique our work. Alongside the input from the students, it was an intense and insightful session; we discussed content, aesthetics, and installation. As any Alfred graduate painting student can attest, the concerns of art differ between continents. In Alfred, theory and content get their due; in Düsseldorf, aesthetics becomes an elevated concern. The dichotomy between the concerns of American art education and German art student education provides a well-rounded catalyst to consider our work in different contexts.

📸 Max Heaton

On Friday, September 5, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort visited the Flingern neighborhood of Düsseldorf for the opening of Alfred in Düsseldorf painting faculty, Jutta Haeckel. The show, titled “New Paintings”, is held at boa gallery, short for “based on art”, an artist-run gallery founded by Dunja Evers and Thomas Mass. The opening was a part of the Düsseldorf Cologne Open Galleries event held from 05-07 September 2025. Jutta’s show runs from 05.09.2025 – 24.10.2025. Jutta is an abstract artist who had another solo show at the Hosfelt gallery in San Francisco, California, earlier this year, 2025. As students, we hold the privilege to have Jutta as one of our main paining professors, here in Düsseldorf.

📸 Max Heaton

On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the 2nd-year MFA cohort visited the Kunstverein Leverkusen to visit the show of Alfred in Düsseldorf painting faculty, Katrin Laade. The show is titled “IN DER WELT”; translated to English “IN THE WORLD”. Katrin is an abstract painter, born in Germany, and studied at the world-famous Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and de ateliers in the Netherlands. Katrin keeps her studio in Düsseldorf and works as a dedicated abstract artist. As students, we have the pleasure to join Katrin for various travel opportunities, as she enlightens us to the heart and soul of various European art cities.

📸 Wendelin Bottländer

On Tuesday, April 15, the 1st year Alfred MFA painting cohort visited the grounds of Museum Insel Hombroich in Neuss, Germany. The Museum Insel Hombroich is both a park and a museum on over 62 acres of meadowland, combining architecture, art, and nature. From 1982 to 1994, sculptor Erwin Heerich created eleven exhibition pavilions. The various pavilions present both antique art from Asia and modern art, most of which are lit by natural light. The Langen Foundation is on the grounds, where we viewed an exhibition of contemporary art from the Ringier Collection.

📸 Max Heaton

From Monday, March 31 to Friday, April 4, the 1st year Alfred MFA painting cohort visited the amazing city of Paris, France! What an incredible city and rich arts culture – our stay was filled with one amazing experience after the next. Highlights included: Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris, Chapel Sainte-Chapelle, Musée d’Orsay, Louvre Museum, Musée de l’Orangerie, and all the local galleries! 

We walked along the Seine, enjoyed French food at the cafes, watched the sun go down at Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, and saw legendary installations and artworks by Parisian greats Monet, Manet, and Rodin. Pictured below are The Water Lillies and The Gates of Hell.

The entire group was in awe of the city and were lucky to be there!

📸 Max Heaton

On Wednesday, March 26, the 1st year MFA cohort visited the Kunstverein Leverkusen and Schloss Morsbroich Museum. Many German cities and towns have their own Kunstverein or local art club. Members pay a small annual fee to be a part of the Kunstverein, and have access to art shows and discounted art releases. We were received at the Kunstverein by curator Susanne Wedewer Pampus – we were shown the current exhibition by the art duo Michelle Héon and Gilles Morissette.

After enjoying the current exhibition, we went on a nature walk through the grounds, enjoying the birds, flowers, and outdoor sculptures. After the nature walk, we entered the Museum Morsbroich to view the exhibition of photographer and video artist Eric Lanz. A unique aspect of the Museum Morsbroich is that they keep their collection openly accessible. The public can view the collection and request works be pulled out and put on view!

📸 Max Heaton

On Wednesday, March 12, the 1st year Alfred MFA painting cohort visited the studio of Düsseldorf artist, Cornelius Quabeck. The next day, Thursday, March 13, Cornelius visited the Oberbilk studio of the Alfred painters, and we each had individual critiques with the visiting artist. Cornelius is a painter, printmaker, and musician. On dedicating oneself to a subject matter, Cornelius states, “Spend time with a subject or object, and new things get revealed.” Cornelius is currently working on a series of skulls. He states, “The skull is not arbitrary, it is about death” and “to work with the skull repeatedly is a way for me to process the concept of death.” As a greater philosophy of art making, Cornelius states, “learn from the experience of art making – to be more confident with what you do as you make the art.”

The next week, on Tuesday, March 18, the 1st year Alfred MFA painting cohort visited the studio of Düsseldorf artist, Paul Schwer. The next day, Wednesday, March 14, Paul visited the Alfred painters, and we each had individual critiques with the visiting artist. Paul is a painter and a sculptor, well-known for his morphed plexiglass works. 

Cornelius and Paul shared their own unique experience and path through the arts. Our exchange with these artists provided different and valuable feedback as we develop our work, fostering our voice.

📸 Max Heaton