This exhibition – entitled Metal Transfigured – showcases the work of more than 30 faculty artists from 10 departments in FIT’s School of Art and Design. Their artistic talent is as varied and far-reaching as this ubiquitous material itself. Limited only by their imaginations and the requirement to explore metal, they were charged to shape it, paint it, hammer it, bend it, or conceptualize it into distinctive works of art. The unique and exciting results include everything from paintings, drawings and photographic works to sculpture and jewelry.

     The exhibition demonstrates the extraordinary skills of the gifted artists who populate FIT’s art and design classrooms. It is of special benefit to our students, who see that their professors and instructors not only teach but are also active, accomplished artists in their own right. This showcase of FIT faculty talent is enjoyed by our entire campus community as well as by throngs of visitors to The Museum at FIT from across the U.S. and around the world.

     I congratulate our faculty participants and thank them for sharing these fascinating examples of artistic exploration. I especially thank Assistant Professor Karen Gentile of our Textile/Surface Design department for proposing this exhibition. I thank Museum Director Valerie Steele, her staff, and all the others who have helped to make this exhibition a success.

     The Museum at FIT, one of a select group of specialized global fashion museums, is a repository of the world’s largest collection of clothing, textiles and accessories. Its innovative and award winning exhibitions attract more than 100,000 visitors each year. As Metal Transfigured once again demonstrates, it also plays a vital role in shaping the unique experience known as an FIT education.