SUNY Adirondack students featured in 120° Intercollegiate show

GLENS FALLS, New York (March 23, 2023) — Bettina Lamberti Beiersdorf was working on a puzzle with her mother when an email notification on her phone caught her eye. 

Three pieces of Lamberti Beiersdorf's artwork were selected for inclusion in 120° Intercollegiate Regional Show, which opens with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Saratoga Arts, 320 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

"It was so cool that my mother got to see my raw happiness at achieving a major accomplishment in my life," said Lamberti Beiersdorf, an adult student who earned a Liberal Arts degree from SUNY Adirondack, fell in love with photography and is pursuing a degree in Media Arts. "I've struggled to be accepted by my mother, but she loves my photography, so to be able to share that moment with her was perfect."

"I've been taking photos with my phone for years and I thought, 'This is really fun, this is what I want to do for myself and professionally,'" she said. She registered for a photography course with Brandon Segal, an instructor of Media Arts. "Brandon's accepting me, in my uniqueness and the validation of my creative voice, that is empowering."

Lamberti Beiersdorf's photographs in the exhibition include "A Rock and a Hard Place," "evergreen tears" and "Ominous Fog." 

The 120° Intercollegiate Regional Show is held annually for students attending accredited colleges or universities within a 120-mile radius of Saratoga Springs, and rotates venues between Saratoga Arts, Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Commission (LARAC) and The Arts Center of the Capital Region. 

Lamberti Beiersdorf is one of 12 SUNY Adirondack students whose art was selected by juror Stef Halmos, executive director of Foreland in Catskill. Orabel Beadnell, Camila Castro, Ella Constantineau, Norberto "Norbs" Cuevas, Molly Czub, Emma Harwood, Juliet Lyons, Britney Persutti, Francesca Porcaro, Olivia Strope and Maria Zurlo are also featured in the 120° Intercollegiate Regional Show.

Cuevas had three works selected for the exhibition. Also an adult student, Cuevas studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design, fine art at Fashion Institute of Technology, then had a long career as a deejay in the greater New York City area.

When he relocated to Greenwich, he decided to enroll at SUNY Adirondack to brush up on his skills and to network with other creatives. 

"As much as I draw and paint for myself, it's time to showcase my stuff," said Cuevas, whose painting "Breaking Through," photograph "Overseer," and digital art "After the Party," are included in the 120° Intercollegiate Regional Show.

"It's cool to go old school on how you used to see art, to go into a gallery and be among other artists," he said. "It's definitely going to be an experience for me."

The 120° Intercollegiate Regional Show runs through April 15 at Saratoga Arts, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.