About Us

The New Year begins with two new exhibitions at the Hofstra University Museum of Art!

When We All Stand, which opens January 31, 2023 in the Emily Lowe Gallery, focuses on the collective power of the arts to address complex issues in society and demonstrates the ability of art and artists to chart a path for social change. The artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art and activism on issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, voting rights, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled.

Please join us for a Preview Reception on Sunday, January 29, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. In case you cannot make that day, an Exhibition Reception will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Public programs for the spring also include an artists’ panel and a curator-led gallery talk. More details about these events and others can be found on the Museum’s Calendar of Events page.

On view in the David Filderman Gallery beginning February 14, 2023, the exhibition The Barack Obama Presidency: Hope and Change offers an examination of eight topics or issues that challenged and were addressed by the Obama administration. We hope that all visitors will examine the content of this exhibition and draw their own conclusions about leadership and policy making in the Obama presidency, as well as the legacy for American politics. Please join us for a Reception on Thursday, February 16, 2023, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Please be sure to visit our website and social media outlets for the most current updates:
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Looking forward to seeing you at the Museum in 2023!

Karen T. Albert
Director
January 2023

Karen T. Albert is currently the Director at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. For more than thirty years, Karen has organized and curated exhibitions on a wide variety of topics. During 2022, Karen curated exhibitions that featured works from the Museum’s permanent collections:  Off the Press, Art of the Dogon, and Drawing Matters. Two exhibitions curated by Karen, Past Traditions/New Voices in Asian Art (2014) and We Hold These Truths… (2013), received highly competitive grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, she has curated the following exhibitions over the past five years: Where Were You? Witnessing History, Uncharted: American Abstraction in the Information Age, Environmental Impact, Pushing Boundaries: American Art After World War II, Inspiration: Japanese Woodblock Prints, Changing Perceptions: World War I and the Visual Arts, Romare Bearden: Storyteller, Portfolios II: Offset Lithographic Prints, Andy Warhol, and Converging Voices: Gender and Identity. Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Museum Studies, both from Syracuse University. In 2012, she was a Seminar Fellow for Academic Museum and Gallery Leadership, Association of Academic Museums and Galleries at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.  Karen serves as a peer reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services federal grants and American Alliance of Museums accreditation program.

Jackie Geis is the Senior Assistant to the Director of the Hofstra University Museum of Art. Prior to joining the Museum, she spent 3 years as the department administrator for Global Studies and Geography in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Jackie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, along with a minor in Sociology, from Moravian College and a Certificate in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management from Hofstra University. She has worked in a variety of industries including banking, cosmetics, healthcare and non-profits, acquiring experience in IT asset management, consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketing, web content, social media and event management.

Amy Garay Solomon is the Director of Education at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She develops and oversees programs for P-12 students and varied community groups. Prior to becoming Director, Amy was a museum educator at Hofstra University Museum of Art. Amy taught middle school socials studies in Brooklyn, NY at an arts-based public school, where she also mentored student teachers. She taught as an adjunct professor of social studies education at New York University. Amy has a B.A. in International Affairs, with a minor in Art History from The George Washington University, and an M.A. in Secondary Social Studies education from New York University. She holds a New York State professional certificate in teaching social studies 5-12 and gifted and talented education 5-12.

Alexandra (Sasha) Giordano is the Assistant Director of Exhibition and Collection at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. Prior to this position, Alexandra served as the Communications Director and Assistant Director at the Museum. Previously, Alexandra worked for The Metropolitan Museum of Art as the Assistant National Manager of Visual Planning where she developed campaigns that coordinated with merchandising, marketing, design and curatorial departments. She is currently adjunct faculty at SUNY Farmingdale College and Nassau Community College, where she teaches classes that vary in topic from American Art History to History of Graphic Design. Alexandra holds a Master of Arts in Art History from CUNY Queens College.

Kristen Dorata is a NYC based photographer and creative artist interested in forging links between the past and present. In addition to holding both an MA in Museum Administration from St John’s University and BFA in Photography from St. John’s University and The International Center of Photography, she possesses a variety of experience as an independent archivist and art consultant, specializing in analog photography and alternative processes. Ms. Dorata has been supported by grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and has cared for and managed collections currently archived at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum for American Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Autry Museum of the American West.

Jonathan Fidis is the Communication Director at the Hofstra University. He works on promoting the Museum through social media and publicity campaigns. While he was a Hofstra student, Jonathan worked in the Emily Lowe Gallery as an Undergraduate Gallery Assistant. Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Criminology with minors in Sociology and Linguistics.

Stephanie McGee is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She creates, develops, and teaches the curriculum for the 21st Century program. This program helps expand on the importance of art and education. Previously, Stephanie was an outreach educator for the Long Island Children's Museum. She was an educator in Freeport Public Schools for kindergarten through fifth grade and worked as an assistant at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Stephanie received a dual BA of Fine Arts from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Eileen McKenna is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She develops curriculum and delivers programs for school and community groups. After an extensive career in Graphic Design and Marketing, Eileen joined the South Shore Art Center in Bellmore as an Art Instructor. She teaches both acrylic and watercolor painting, as well as mixed media workshops. She equally loves designing art projects and working with elementary aged children to bring those projects to life. Eileen has published books on creative exploration and watercolor painting.

Sara Flynn Schaefer is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra Museum of Art. She develops the Artifacts Alive! curriculum and delivers the program to local elementary schools. Prior to joining Hofstra, Sara was an elementary school teacher. She has taught fourth grade in New York City and throughout grades K-5 in Rockville Centre, NY and Baldwin, NY. Before teaching, she worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a Public Affairs Analyst where she delivered lectures and guided tours to college and community groups, and assisted with financial literacy programs.

Sara has a B.A. in Political Science from Pace University and a Masters in Elementary Education from Hunter College. Sara holds a New York State professional certification in elementary education.