As the works are placed in relation to one another, they begin to respond to, challenge, and speak to one another.

"Triple Threat" at Berger Art Gallery

The Division of Arts & Humanities is presenting “The Triple Threat: Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking” at the Arthur M. Berger Art Gallery. This exhibition features Manhattanville faculty members Alka Mukerji, Ph.D., Randy Williams, and Chris Manning ’25, who are exhibiting their work collectively.

Alka Mukerji, Professor in the Studio Art Department and Director of the Arthur M. Berger Art Gallery, discusses the significance of artistic collaboration: “As I curated the exhibition, it was fascinating to see the work of Professor Randy Williams and Professor Christopher Manning alongside my own. Placing the artworks next to one another created an entirely new conversation, allowing each piece to respond to the other artworks in unexpected ways. In a space shared by three artists, a conversation begins—not only between the artists and their works, but between the artwork and the space that surrounds it. A tension emerges between each piece and its environment, creating movement and inviting the viewer to experience the exhibition as something fluid and evolving.”

Randy Williams, also a longstanding faculty member at Manhattanville University and Professor of Studio Art and Art Education, has served as an instructor and educational consultant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He reflects on the importance of group exhibitions: “A group exhibition attempts to take the uncompromised visions of individual artists and create a collective experience that unifies aesthetic themes. The three of us in this exhibition rely on several formal elements; the most important are observation, personal history, and objective research. My artwork in this exhibition has a dual focus. The works on paper highlight my lifelong love of music, especially jazz.  As a child, jazz was my first introduction to the arts; it continues to inspire my creative process. These abstract images are not an imitation of jazz, but rather a form of jazz visualization. I create the collage/drawing as if I were performing music. The second body of work in the exhibition, Book-Construction, is a commentary on current events and American history. The Book-Construction often illustrates a history that is overlooked or misrepresented. I use books in this work because the power of reading transformed my life as a young man.”

Visitors to the exhibition will recognize the strong sense of community fostered within the Arthur M. Berger Art Gallery. Chris Manning emphasizes the harmonious qualities of the collaborative work: “Group exhibitions are always funny things. Works by different artists, from different backgrounds and experiences, share a space, thus communicating aesthetically or conceptually. Techniques or processes may be similar or completely different. Works might be massive or others just many in number. Sometimes it works, other times it most certainly does not. Both harmony and the clash lend interesting results; neither is correct. But regardless, what develops is a conversation that is not heard but seen and felt. This conversation has been happening for many years and is important to me personally. As a proud Class of 2005 MVille alumni and now adjunct professor for over a decade, the chance to show with my professors, mentors, now colleagues, and most importantly friends is an amazing opportunity to show that dialogue.”

“The Triple Threat: Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking” is on view at the Arthur M. Berger Art Gallery through October 31. A fall reception is scheduled for September 16.