10:30a: Meet & Greet and Brunch Bites - 5th Floor
11:00a - 3:00p: Life Drawing - 5th Floor
Please bring your own favorite drawing, painting, or sculpting supplies. We will have two models, one in each drawing room.
12:00 - 2:00p: Visiting Critics - 5th Floor
Sign up at the event for one individual appointment with a gallerist, curator, or critic to review your artwork.
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Sign Up will begin at 10:30 on the day of the event in the Academy Lobby
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There are a limited number of appointment slots: sign-ups are first-come, first-served on the day of the event for Academy Alumni only. We cannot guarantee a spot (but don't worry- there are more in-person and virtual crit events planned for the fall and throughout the year!)
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Alumni will have 12 minutes for their conversation
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We recommend that you present your work in the most efficient way possible. The Alumni Association or The New York Academy will not provide any computers, tablets, or other electronic devices for displaying your art. Please bring your own device. We advise avoiding the use of your phone for displaying artwork because of its limited size. You may choose to bring your original work, but individual pieces should not exceed 18” x 24” inches in size. Any original art cannot be stored at the Academy; neither the Alumni Association nor the New York Academy of Art will be held liable for any loss or damage to electronic devices or physical works.
NANA LEE - Blank Space Gallery
Nana Lee is the founder and director of BLANK SPACE, a contemporary art gallery and consultancy based in New York City. Since establishing BLANK SPACE in 2009, she has collaborated with both U.S. and international artists on numerous solo and group exhibitions, as well as private and corporate projects. Her work includes curating art collections for luxury hotels, cruise ships, and corporate spaces. She also oversees exhibitions, manages major art fairs worldwide, and advises on corporate art acquisitions. With a background deeply rooted in the arts, Nana studied fine art throughout her early education before earning a Master of Arts in Design Management from Pratt Institute and a BA in Fashion Design Womenswear from Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London. Her expertise seamlessly bridges the worlds of art, design, and business, shaping BLANK SPACE into a dynamic platform for contemporary artistic expression.
ELLERY WHALEY - Jeffrey Deitch Gallery
Ellery Whaley is an Art History graduate from Pace University with a minor in Film & Screen Studies. She is an avid supporter of all art forms, and passionate about the upkeep and future of arts programing. Whaley joined Jeffrey Deitch in 2021 and is Associate Director, Events and Exhibitions in New York. Ellery manages the gallery’s communications and co-manages the gallery’s social media. She has co-organized and managed exhibitions such as Wild Style, curated by Carlo McCormick, Alexandre Diop: Hood Rich, and Haroshi: DIVE INTO THE PIT. She also manages various special projects and fair programming for the gallery in Miami.
BRENT AUXIER - Co-founder, Auxier Kline Gallery
Auxier Kline is a contemporary art gallery focusing on emerging and mid-career artists established by co-founders Brent Auxier and Kate Kline located in New York, NY. Auxier Kline curates individual artist and group exhibitions on a rotating basis in the gallery and offers an ongoing selection of works from their flat files.
MICHAEL GORMLEY - Executive Director, Equity Gallery
Michael Gormley assumed the leadership position at NYAE in 2017, bringing to bear over thirty years of art world experience. Limbo Lounge, a pivotal East Village art and performance space he founded in 1980, was his inaugural foray into the New York art scene. Since that time Gormley has held key posts in galleries, professional arts organizations, academic institutions and media enterprises including VP of Education, Institute of Classical Architecture & Art; Associate Director of Fine Art, The National Arts Club; Curator, Portraits, Inc.; Dean, The New York Academy of Art and Editor-in Chief and Content Strategist, Artists Magazine. In addition to his curatorial and administrative work at NYAE, he is a frequent contributor to NYAE’s blog and maintains a fine art studio practice in painting.
AUDRA LAMBERT - Antecedent Projects
Audra Lambert is a Socially Conscious Cultural Producer, and independent curator. She / They have successfully written for and reported on an awarded NEA Grant, curated 60 exhibitions with art nonprofit and museum galleries, university spaces, commercial art galleries, mixed-use spaces and public art initiatives. She is / They are integral to the production and realization of performance by artist Dread Scott (Chicago/New York), "On the Impossibility of Freedom in a Country Founded on Slavery and Genocide" while working at More Art. She has / They have executed over 3 arts organization fundraisers with a small team, with net incomes totaling $50,000+. She / They published written work in Texte zur Kunst Magazine, Whitehot Mag, Americans for the Arts and more, and have copywritten for BMW and Creative Circle as well as various brands & cultural institutions.
DOMENIC PONTONE - Friedrichs Pontone Gallery
Friedrichs Pontone was established in 2022, opening its new flagship gallery space in the heart of the historic gallery neighborhood of Tribeca. The gallery is dedicated to showcasing a diverse range of contemporary art, representing artists from Europe, Korea, and the United States. Its program reflects a commitment to both emerging and established talents, fostering cross-cultural artistic dialogue. Gallery founders Martin Friedrichs and Domenic Pontone bring a combined 40 years of experience to their new venture. Domenic Pontone is the founder of Pontone Gallery London and director of The Albemarle Gallery London.