Central New York Artist Initiative

The Central New York Artist Initiative builds upon the Everson Museum of Art’s ongoing support of the region’s vibrant arts community.

Launched in January 2022, the Everson CNY Artist Initiative is a competitive program that highlights the multi-faceted talents of regional artists. Each year, Everson curators select artists to display their work in solo exhibitions at the Museum. Selections are based on the innovative quality of the work, how the work aligns with the Museum mission, and its relevance to the community. The CNY Artist Initiative is made possible with support from Sandra Hurd and Joel Potash.

Tal Placido:
Meeting Place

On view January 24 – March 29, 2026

Tal Placido’s large-scale abstract paintings begin with a conversation. Instead of working on blank primed canvas, Placido paints on vintage linens, embracing their stains, snags, and embellishments. A native of the Philippines, Placido is attuned to the family stories and lived experiences that she literally weaves into her work.

Ann Clarke:
Under the Canopy

On view April 4 – June 6, 2026

Ann Clarke’s body of work presented in Under the Canopy was shaped by her mother’s physical and mental decline in the years before her passing. A ghostly knit of her mother’s hand evokes the intimacy that comes with sharing skill and labor. Images of nature exist alongside others that draw on the material culture of domestic environments like flower arrangements, vases, and empty chairs. Grouped together, the works in Under the Canopy create space for both artist and viewer to contemplate human relationships, mortality, and shared labor.

Renqian Yang

On view June 13 – August 16, 2026

Renqian Yang is an artist and Associate Professor of Ceramics at SUNY Oswego, New York. She earned her BFA from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China (2009), and her MFA from Syracuse University (2014). Her work explores the balance between dualities—restraint and freedom, memory and loss, dislocation and belonging.

Rich Harrington

On view August 22 – October 25, 2026

Rich Harrington’s work examines how popular culture shapes identity, referencing toys, games, teaching materials, and icons from his youth. Using painting, sculpture, video projection, and assemblage, he reassigns familiar images and texts to reveal alternative narratives, creating intersections of memory, meaning, and belonging.