Beginning Monday, Sept. 13, SUNY Oswego’s Artswego program, in conjunction with international artist Craig Walsh, is honoring three unsung heroes from Oswego County.
“Monuments” is a community art program created by Walsh that celebrates the accomplishments of Oswego County’s Jiancheng Huang, Kathryn Pagliaroli and Paul Stewart. The installation features projections of each community member onto the natural landscape of SUNY Oswego’s campus. Using human form, natural environment and the act of viewing, Walsh works to redefine the traditional expectations of public monuments and common history while honoring community members.
“This past year has been a time marked with so much fear and uncertainty,” Miranda Traudt, SUNY Oswego’s director of arts programming said. “It has sincerely been a privilege getting to know these incredible individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving and serving our community.”
Huang is the director of public health for Oswego County and earned recognition for his efforts in leading the county through the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. He assisted in leading local medical professionals and saving valuable lives throughout the pandemic in his position. Huang described finding his calling in the field of public health.
“I realized public health can help more people,” Huang said. “A physician sees a patient once in a while, public health officials take the whole population as subjects, so I could help many more people.”
Pagliaroli also works in the medical field in Oswego County. A registered nurse, she fought on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic and was nominated for her dedication to her profession and community. Pagliaroli also volunteered with the Oswego Renaissance Association, a nonprofit organization responsible for revitalizing the housing in the City of Oswego, and at her local church.
Pagliaroli finds her contributions to her hometown to be extremely rewarding.
“I love being able to work in the community that I grew up in,” Pagliaroli said. “It has really poured itself into me and became a part of who I am. It is a benefit for me to give back, be able to work here, raise my family here and give back to the community that has given back to me.”
Stewart, a SUNY Oswego psychology professor, was selected for his impact on the Oswego Renaissance Association. Hopeful that the association will continue to grow, Stewart is proud to have helped the growth of the community.
“If you want to have a better community, no one else is coming to save your town,” Stewart said. “It is up to the people in Oswego to make things happen and that is what we are doing.”
The installation featuring these heroes will run daily until Sunday, Oct. 10 with the projections playing from dusk until 10 p.m.
On Wednesday, Sept. 29, Artswego will host a virtual artist talk with Walsh at 7 p.m. in the Marano Campus Center auditorium, followed by a tour of the projections on the SUNY Oswego campus.
Image from ARTSwego via Twitter
