SUNY New Paltz is excited to present its 2025 Composium, a three-day event running from September 18 to 20, featuring a wide array of workshops, talks, and exhibitions centered around sustainability in the arts.
This year’s keynote speech, titled “Sustainability as a Collaborative Practice,” will be given by interdisciplinary artist One Hundred Just. He will share insights into his community-oriented approach to creating impactful ecological works.
On Friday, artist and author Natalie Stopka will discuss her innovative use of botanical colors to reshape our understanding of ecological relationships, detailing the fascinating stories behind her historically inspired plant pigments. Additionally, she will conduct a workshop on Saturday, focusing on creating art with foraged ink and pastels.
Also on Saturday, artist Venetia Dale will showcase her sculptural works in pewter and fiber, exploring themes of motherhood, interpersonal connections, and community.
All events will be held in person and will also be livestreamed online.
The Composium will feature three unique events with ceramicist Lisa Orr, including the construction of an ultra-efficient, zero-smoke wood kiln on Thursday, September 18, a firing of locally foraged clay creations on Friday, September 19, and the unloading and evaluation of that firing on Saturday, September 20.
Additionally, metal students at SUNY New Paltz will showcase their collaborative efforts with the Radical Jewelry Makeover project, which educates jewelers of all levels about the ethical implications of mining and material sourcing in jewelry production.
Other highlights of the Composium include a foraging walk and ethnobotanical tour led by Matthew Friday; a charcoal retort demonstration from Michael Asbill and Ripley Butterfield of Processing Collapse; and a communal meal featuring foraged and locally sourced ingredients at the SUNY New Paltz EcoArtLab.
The Composium is free and open to the public.
To learn more and register, visit newpaltz.edu or reach out to Matthew Friday at [email protected].
