Tag: Art Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: January 16 – April 23, 2026

Opening Reception: Thursday, February 12, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Peekskill, NY — The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery at SUNY Westchester Peekskill is pleased to announce the Illustration & Animation Showcase 2026, on view from January 16 through April 23, 2026. This spring, the Center spotlights Animation in American arts and workforce development, featuring the work of students enrolled in the college’s Illustration and 2D Animation and 3D Animation certificate programs, alongside their distinguished faculty.

Through this exhibition, the Center celebrates the remarkable diversity of talent cultivated within its programs. Students in these applied learning pathways gain hands-on, industry-level experience, developing professional portfolios that prepare them for careers in the growing animation and digital media sectors. The Illustration &Animation Showcase 2026 offers these emerging artists an opportunity to experiment, refine their craft, and share their creative achievements with the community.

Animation holds a unique place in American visual culture. From early cel animation, pioneered by Earl Hurd in 1914, to rotoscoping—developed in 1915 and later refined by major studios like Walt Disney—animation has evolved alongside technology itself. What began with hand-drawn celluloid frames and icons such as Steamboat Willie has grown into the dynamic, computer-generated worlds of The Incredibles and How to Train Your Dragon, produced by studios like Pixar and DreamWorks.

The exhibition also honors influential comic illustrators such as Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, and Todd McFarlane, whose innovations inform the Center’s Illustration and 2D Animation curriculum, and Ray Harryhausen, whose pioneering stop-motion artistry continues to inspire animators worldwide. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Illustration & Animation Showcase 2026 celebrates how today’s creative workforce contributes to the evolving story of American innovation through art and technology.

Exhibition highlights include 2D and 3D animated works in motion, large-scale vinyl prints displayed along the Center’s storefront windows, framed 2D and 3D printed pieces, and color-printed illustrated comic booksproduced by students.

The public is warmly invited to attend the Opening Reception on Thursday, February 12, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Sneak Peak – CLICK HERE

For more information about the Center for the Digital Arts and its programs, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/peekskill.