Cynthia Clabough

"Professor Cynthia" exhibits work on the regional and national level in juried, group and solo shows. Her work has been reviewed in newspapers and publications. Before coming to Oswego, she taught at Sinclair Community college in Dayton, Ohio. As a research/medical illustrator at Southern Illinois University, her illustration work was published regularly in scientific journals, publications, and textbooks. She has worked as a free-lance graphic designer/illustrator and computer prepress consultant. Her graphic design work and scenic art projects were seen yearly at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival from 1990 through its final season in 2015.

Research 

As a mixed media artist, most of the work I create stems from my need to dissect, inspect, and make sense of something. Not so much in a literal sense—for nothing produced is meant to be an explanation of something — but rather a juxtaposition of different perspectives and reactions overlaying each other and kaleidoscopically shifting in and out of focus. The work provides a structure to frame conversations with myself regarding things that puzzle me. The end result is often a scene made from many scenes. My intention is to inspire conversation while providing opportunity for reflection and pause. 

My current work revolves around investigating the global phenomenon of the oppressed becoming the oppressors, the abused becoming the abusers, the conquered becoming the conquerors. To be specific, my method is to first explore and study the codified language artist used historically to create cultural narratives steeped in symbolism that pretends/intends to be explicit, yet whose meaning requires a strong understanding of the context in which the work was created. My ultimate goal is to then create work in a similar style that shifts the narrative to exppose the conundrum of the pendulum about to swing from one extreme to another.

Publications 

• Book Chapter — Clabough, C., Behrendt, T., Brownell, E., Harrington, C., Kane, S., McKinney, L., and Roe, K. “A Collective Endeavor — The Creatively Exploring Place, Self, and Collective Identity Project." Activist Art in Social Justice Pedagogy: Engaging Students in Glocal Issues Through the Arts, 2nd Edition. Beyerbach, B. & Davis, R.D., Ramalho, T. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., November 2017, pp. 237-248 
• Artist Statement — Note on the Cover Art: “The Night the Artist Became Activist.” Activist Art in Social Justice Pedagogy: Engaging Students in Glocal Issues Through the Arts, 2nd Edition. Beyerbach, B. & Davis, R.D., Ramalho, T. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., November 2017, pp. xi. 
• Book Cover Illustrations: “Take Back the Night," Activist Art in Social Justice Pedagogy: Engaging Students in Glocal Issues Through the Arts, 2nd Edition. Beyerbach, B. & Davis, R.D., Ramalho, T. (Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., November 2017.

Conferences 

Annual Meeting of Council of Art Department Chairpersons (CADC) and Council of Gallery and Museum Directors (CMGD). Membership in these two groups include chairs and directors from across SUNY. As president of the CADC, I work with other officers on organizing our annual meeting. I also routinely present on topics and concerns impacting chairs.

Awards and honors 

• SUNY Chancellor Award for Service, 2018
• President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Oswego State. 2010 
• Research and Scholarship Award, SUNY Research Foundation. One of 29 faculty selected from across the SUNY system. 2007 
• President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Advisement, Oswego State. One of three recipients. 1999

Performances and exhibitions 

Curator, My Hometown Project Exhibition featuring 450+ works of art by students in the Oswego School District May 31-Jun 15, 2018

Education 

• Southern Illinois University—MFA degree in drawing and painting, 1985, Carbondale, Illinois. 
• Lake Erie College—BFA degree, 1980, Painesville, Ohio