PNCA welcomes new Chair of MFA in Visual Studies—Peter Simensky

PNCA is pleased to welcome Peter Simensky as the incoming Chair of PNCA’s MFA in Visual Studies. Peter is an accomplished interdisciplinary artist and faculty member. He has extensive teaching experience from some of the top art programs in the country such as California College of the Arts, Stanford University and New York University. Most recently he has served as core faculty in the Interdisciplinary MFA programs at School of Art Institute of Chicago and at Maine College of Art.  He will be moving from New York City to start the academic year in the MFA in Visual Studies program, one of the six graduate programs in PNCA’s Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies.

Simensky’s varied process-oriented practice demonstrates interest in the art object as trigger and emblem for forms of exchange. Situated in moments of slippage and interchange, his projects evince the volatility of art objects, which are on one level cash with which to trade and invest, and on the other, art—the mysterious objectification of reflection, imagination, desire, and promise. Simensky’s project Gold Dust can be found in the current Cabinet Magazine.  As Simensky’s contribution, this issue comes sprinkled with gold dust. Simensky visited Cabinet’s offices on the day the issue arrived and scattered 7.9 grams of 24-karat gold over the magazines, an amount equal in value to the cost of printing the two pages allotted to his project.

Peter is an active and accomplished artist whose work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Museum 52, NY, The Swiss Institute, NY, and Project Row Houses, Houston. He has participated in numerous group shows in the US and Internationally at museums, institutions and galleries and brings a wealth of knowledge of contemporary art practices, people, and venues.