Robert Graham Carter, NCC Art Professor for 50 Years, Exhibits
at the Heckscher Museum of Art February 2 to May 25

January 28, Garden City, NY – Robert Graham Carter, beloved fomer Professor of Art at Nassau Community College where he taught for over 50 years, will exhibit at The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, NY from February 2 through May 25. The solo exhibition is titled Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection.

The Art of Reflection presents selected work from Carter’s six- decade-long career.It explores the idea of reflection in Carter’s work through three major themes: childhood, spirituality, and societal issues. Drawing influence from his upbringing in the Jim Crow South, Carter’s compositions balance personal and universal truths, with a focus on topics that connect to the experience of African Americans. His work expresses the joy and importance of family, the legacy of segregation, the charm of childhood, the spiritual and corporal force that is the Black church, and the impression of Blackface on American culture.

Carter remarks:  “Artists are often credited with grand and creative energies that result in works to be admired.  If truth be told, struggle and toil brought them to an acceptability. Looking from a distance through the lens of time helps bring focus and an objective look at the creartive process. I am very grateful and happy that The Heckscher Museum of Art allowed this perspective for me and the Heckscher community.”

Following the exhibition at The Heckscher Museum, The Art of Reflection will be on view at the Cressman Center Galleries, University of Louisville from August 1 through September 1, 2025.

“I have known Robert Carter for over 50 years, if you can believe that!,” said Susan Peragallo, Docent, The Heckscher Museum of Art and former NCC student.  “As a fine art major, I took his classes in drawing and painting at Nassau Community College. He challenged his students to work in oversized formats on both canvas and paper and to look and study, with intensity, at their subject matter.  The works that I produced in his classes continue to be meaningful to me after all these years.  Later we worked together at Nassau Community College and continue to be friends to this day.  His mentorship strongly influenced my artistic endeavors going forward. I have served as a docent at the Heckscher Museum for the past 20 years and I currently hold the position of Coordinator and Curator of the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery at the Art League of Long Island for 14 years. “ 

Robert Graham Carter is a painter, art professor, and illustrator. He was born in Louisville, Ketucky, and has lived on Long Island since the 1960s. Carter received his B.S. degree from the University of Louisville and his M.F.A. degree from the Institute of Fine Arts. Former Prof. Carter taught drawing, painting, and design at Nassau Community College for more than half a century.

About Nassau Community College

Nassau Community College, a campus of the State University of New York, provides a comprehensive public college experience designed to prepare students to start, and continue, their successful journeys through higher education. Serving 14,000 full-time, part-time and continuing education students, NCC awards 67 associate degrees and 25 certificates. Through on-campus and online offerings, the college educates local and international students, and boasts 168,000 alumni. Situated on 225 acres in Garden City, Long Island, the college grounds reside in historic Nassau County, one of the most desirable locations to live in the United States and an epicenter for business and careers. Since 1959, NCC has earned a nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year schools. 

Media Contact:  Brett Spielberg | brett.spielberg@ncc.edu | (516) 572.9634

ncc.edu/newsreleases

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