NEW YORK.- School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Mentors,” an exhibition of work by BFA Photography Department students inspired by their year-long mentorship with key figures in the New York arts community. Drawn from the ranks of city’s best-known photographers, curators, art directors, publishers, art dealers, critics and writers, the mentors are paired with students based upon their field of expertise and the student’s area of concentration. The 2008 – 2009 mentors include creative director Fabien Baron, cinematographer and SVA alumnus Harris Savides, New York Times writer Philip Gefter, and photographers Ari Marcoupolis, Sally Gall and Gregory Crewdson, among others. The exhibition will be on view through April 25 at the Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26 Street, 15th Floor, New York City.

Established in 1992, the Mentors program at SVA was designed to cultivate relationships between established and emerging artists and to introduce new talent to the New York arts community. Stephen Frailey, chair of the BFA Photography Department and curator of the exhibition, explains, “We are always seeking to provide our students with opportunities that support their growth as professional artists. Working with these mentors offers our students an invaluable learning experience, one that inspires them to take their work further.”

The BFA Photography Department at SVA offers students a full range of options in the study of photography: commercial, fine art, fashion and documentary. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities; a faculty of nearly 100 members, including not only working photographers but photo editors, critics, publishers and photography dealers; and a curriculum that integrates photographic genres, identities and ambitions. SVA’s diversity in curriculum and the faculty’s professional experience offer students the freedom and support to explore different directions in photography.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 West 26th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For further information, please call 212.592.2145.