Hewitt Gallery Show Celebrates Art Alums
Open gallery
A new exhibition at The Hewitt Gallery of Art highlights the breadth and depth of talent that’s emerged from MMC’s Art program over the last several decades. The show, Making Their Mark: Alumni Invitational, opened in October and runs through December 2.
It features 13 alums who, since graduating, have gone on to live and work in all corners of the globe. Artists include Jamie Allen ’14, Barthelemy Atsin ’02, Cydney Bittner ’21, Adriana Cristal ’17, Mike Ecker ’13, Maggie Fischer ’09, Vanessa Gonzalez-Bunster ’13, Khae Haskell ’05, Yvonne Lamar-Rogers ’06, Luisa Montoya ’20, Amy Pekal ’15, Margaret Roleke ’84, and Sierra Orosco ’23. Art and Art History Professor and Hewitt Gallery Director Hallie Cohen and Associate Professor of Art Beth Shipley curated the show.
“We are showcasing a small group from among the hundreds of talented artists who have come through the program over the last four decades,” Cohen said. “They represent all of the practice-based disciplines in the major and have continued in a tradition of exploration and discovery through their diverse art practices as painters, curators, graphic designers, illustrators, animators, art gallery directors, photographers, and art educators. We are very honored to have them back in the Hewitt Gallery at MMC.”
Cohen noted that Art alumni have long been nurtured by a dedicated faculty of artists and mentors who encouraged them to think critically and act creatively—bonds that were evident at the exhibition’s opening reception on October 30. For example, retired MMC Art faculty member Jim Martin attended to see his former student Fischer, who made the trek from New Jersey with her young son.
Lamar-Rogers, a mixed-media artist based in New York, said returning to 71st Street was a profoundly meaningful moment. “Being invited back to exhibit my artwork at MMC is deeply personal. During my early years in NYC, this community gave me the support I will always be grateful for,” she said. “To return 20 years later to share my artwork feels both humbling and full-circle.”
Published: November 25, 2025
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