SUNY New Paltz Hosts Composium: Exploring Sustainability in Arts Through a Series of Events

SUNY New Paltz is excited to host its 2025 Composium, a three-day event dedicated to sustainable arts practices, from September 18 to 20. The event will take place on the SUNY New Paltz campus and promises participants an engaging schedule of workshops, talks, and exhibitions.

The Composium will kick off with the keynote address, “Sustainability as a Collaborative Practice,” delivered by renowned cross-disciplinary artist sTo Len. Known for his community-focused approach, sTo Len will share insights into creating ecologically transformative work.

On Friday, artist and author Natalie Stopka will present her work on botanical colors and the ecological relationships they evoke. Her presentation will include tales of her historically inspired plant pigments. She will also lead a workshop on Saturday, teaching participants to make foraged ink and pastels.

Saturday will feature artist Venetia Dale’s survey of her sculptural creations in pewter and fiber. Her work explores themes of emotional landscapes and the interconnectivity of maternal and interpersonal relationships within communities.

The Composium will also offer a range of hands-on experiences. Ceramicist Lisa Orr will lead a trio of events, beginning with the construction of an ultra-efficient, zero-smoke wood kiln on Thursday. This will be followed by a kiln firing on Friday using clay sourced locally, and a public analysis of the firing on Saturday.

SUNY New Paltz metal students will showcase their collaboration with Radical Jewelry Makeover, a project that raises awareness about the ethical concerns surrounding mining and jewelry material sourcing.

Other highlights include a foraging walk and ethnobotanical tour led by Matthew Friday, a charcoal retort demo by Michael Asbill and Ripley Butterfield from Processing Collapse, and a public meal featuring foraged and locally sourced ingredients at SUNY New Paltz’s EcoArtLab.

The Composium is free and open to everyone, with both in-person and online streaming options for all talks. For more information and registration, visit newpaltz.edu or contact Matthew Friday at [email protected].