Jon Esser
Associate Dean, School of the Arts and Associate Director, Center for Integrative Studies
School of the Arts

Office: Student Services Building, Room 314
Phone: (914) 251-3981 and 5936
Fax: (914) 251-6018
E-mail: jon.esser@purchase.edu 

Jon Esser is a sculptor whose interests include new media and the interaction of the arts and the liberal arts.  His work includes mixed media, digital prints, and interactive sculpture.  He has juried numerous exhibitions.  Jon is a NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) evaluator, and regularly visits art departments around the country.  He is co-chair of CLEA, the Consortium for the Liberal Education of Artists, a national group that attempts to bridge the arts and liberal arts by examining how liberal arts core curriculum can infuse studio practice and vice versa.  Jon coordinated Purchase’s Artsbridge program in 2005-2006 and established ties between Purchase and underserved schools in Westchester County.  Jon also promotes collaborative work at Purchase, where he assists the Center for Integrative Studies.

Education
BFA, 1987, Purchase College; MFA, 1989, Brooklyn College

Positions
Lecturer, College of New Rochelle

Areas of expertise
Sculpture, Studio art curricula

Research interests
Interactive media, General education curricula for artists

Courses taught
Basic Visual Literacy

Selected honors and awards
Thayer Fellowship finalist, Chancellor’s Award for Creativity and Academic Achievement, Research grant at IBM Watson Labs

Selected exhibitions
Westchester Arts Council, Dutchess Community College, Katonah Museum of Art  

Recent conferences
Consortium for the Liberal Education of Artists, National Association of Schools of Art and Design