Craig Manister Artist dabbles in many genres
Staten Island Advance - Sunday, April 30, 2006
When he was in junior high school, Craig Manister
was told by an art teacher that he had absolutely no talent. Today,
he spends his time immersed in the world of art. As curator of the
art exhibits at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and director of the Art
Gallery at the College of Staten Island, Manister — a fine artist
who is now teacher himself — is willing to share his love with
anyone who comes within his reach.
Q: What does a curator do?
A: A curator cares for the works of art that are exhibited at his
venue, conceptualizes art shows ... He must also see that the show
is publicized.
Q: What are your responsibilities as gallery director at CSI?
A: I oversee the day-to-day operations of the collection and
supervise their installations. I also interpret the works for the
student groups that come in.
Q: Is it difficult working at two different institutions?
A: The difficulty is having little free time for my own work.
Actually, I don't sleep a lot. [But] I love what I do and I get a
lot of satisfaction.
Q: You also teach at CSI. What class?
A: I teach Introduction to Art History.
Q: How did your teacher's disparaging remarks impact the way you
work with your students?
A: I'm much more considerate in accentuating the positive.
Q: What do you get from your teaching experiences?
A: It keeps me fresh, and when you're dealing with the problems in a
student's work you learn something. I learn as much from them as
they do from me.
Q: What do you tell your students about career options as an artist?
A: It could be a very hard life. There are no certainties. If
they're interested in money, it's not the job for them.
Q: How did you prepare for your career as an artist?
A: I don't think there's any way that you can. You just study and
keep working and practicing. I never thought I'd be a teacher. That
happened by accident.
Q: How?
A: For 13 years I was the manager of parking garages in Manhattan. I
worked every night at my art. When I was fired, I got a part-time
job at the Art Lab at Snug Harbor. Then another part-time job came
up. I suggested that the two become one job, which I was given. I
was there three years when the job came up at the college, where
I've been for 11 years. I'm still associated with the Art Lab as the
president of the board of directors, which I've been for the last 12
years.
Q: You also are an artist. What is your medium? Your genre?
A: Primarily I'm an oil painter. I do abstract work.
Q: Has your work been exhibited?
A: My last big show was two years ago at the Staten Island Museum.
I've shown at the Art Institute in Beijing, China, and the National
Academy Museum in Manhattan.
Q: Have you received any awards for your work?
A: I have received a research award in painting every year for the
last 10 years from CUNY.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: A series that has abstract forms based on keyholes. They stand in
for human figures and are placed in landscapes.
Q: Are there any other artists in your family?
A: My father was a painter. In his retirement, he returned to it. I
had a lot of respect for artists at an early age.
Q: Who are your favorite artists? Why?
A: Titian is my favorite artist because he's very realistic, but
when you go up close you can see a lot of brush strokes and can
figure out how it was made.
Q: What are your other hobbies? Interests?
A: As a kid, I was a hockey player. I still follow hockey. And I
love to travel, but mostly to see art.
Q: When was your last trip?
A: I went to London last year and went to the National Gallery,
British Museum and Stonehenge. I found Stonehenge interesting and it
gave me a better idea of its worth for teaching it in the classroom.
Q: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
A: Still painting. A closer look Birthday: Sept. 12
Birthplace: Brooklyn Residence: New Brighton Marital status:
Single; significant other Laura Jean Waters Other facts: Manister,
who left art behind when a teacher told him he wasn't talented,
returned to it at age 20 when he was faced with being drafted to
Vietnam.
By Pearl Tisman Minsky
Reprinted here with permission
from the
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