About Us

Welcome back to the Hofstra University Museum of Art!
As the season shifts to cooler weather and we return to spending more time indoors, the Museum invites you to view our current exhibition, Yonia Fain (1913-2013): Tracing History.

The exhibition serves as a vehicle of transport to the darkness of the Holocaust and introduces us to a remarkable story of survival. Yonia Fain's artwork and poetry record his family's escape from Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, his time in Poland during the Nazi invasion of 1939, and his passage through Siberia and Japan to the Shanghai Ghetto in China. Through Fain's drawings and paintings, the exhibition follows his footsteps to Mexico after the war, where friends encouraged him to make his way to Brooklyn, New York, and ultimately to Hempstead, New York, and Hofstra University, where the Museum preserves his archive and legacy. His life was one of constant reinvention with each relocation, and his conviction to endure was captured by brush and pen. Creating became the light that sustained him. Fain's journey speaks to those who are displaced, pushed to the margins, stripped of identity, and forced to conform. Lest we forget that past events are not just stories we read about with a sense of detachment but a history shared by living, breathing human beings who can help us better understand those whose lives may trace a similar path of hardship today.

Free public programming supporting this exhibition includes an exhibition tour and panel discussion, during which in-depth conversations will examine the artist, his work, and place in history. Please visit our Calendar of Events for more information.

Additionally, before the cold settles in, we invite you to take a breath of fresh air and join us in October for Branching Out: A Tree and Sculpture Tour. Amidst the splendor of the fall colors, view highlights from the Museum’s outdoor sculpture collection and learn about the varied plant species on campus. The University's 244-acre campus, a nationally recognized arboretum, serves as an exhibition space for 75 works of sculpture, including those by major 20th-century artists. The Hofstra University Museum of Art and Hofstra University maintains one of the largest private collections of public art in the New York metropolitan region.

As always, thank you for your continued support of the arts. Whether you are a Member, Friend, or visitor purchasing exhibition-related merchandise, your generosity allows the Museum to explore new programs, create excellent educational experiences, care for the collection, and develop exhibitions that encourage dialogue and inquiry.

I hope to see you at one of our events this fall!

All my best,
Sasha Giordano
Director

Jackie Geis is the Senior Assistant to the Director of the Hofstra University Museum of Art. Prior to joining the Museum, she spent 3 years as the department administrator for Global Studies and Geography in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Jackie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, along with a minor in Sociology, from Moravian College and a Certificate in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management from Hofstra University. She has worked in a variety of industries including banking, cosmetics, healthcare and non-profits, acquiring experience in IT asset management, consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketing, web content, social media and event management.

Amy Garay Solomon is the Director of Education at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She develops and oversees programs for P-12 students and varied community groups. Prior to becoming Director, Amy was a museum educator at Hofstra University Museum of Art. Amy taught middle school socials studies in Brooklyn, NY at an arts-based public school, where she also mentored student teachers. She taught as an adjunct professor of social studies education at New York University. Amy has a B.A. in International Affairs, with a minor in Art History from The George Washington University, and an M.A. in Secondary Social Studies education from New York University. She holds a New York State professional certificate in teaching social studies 5-12 and gifted and talented education 5-12.

Alexandra Sasha Giordano is an experienced art historian and dedicated educator. Prior to being appointed Director, Sasha served as the Communications Director, Assistant Director, and most recently as the Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Museum. This past spring, 2023, she curated the exhibition When We All Stand, and developed free public programming that included an artists’ panel, Artists' Civic Responsibility. In 2021, as part of an accessibility initiative from The Museum Association of New York and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, she partnered with the Hempstead and Uniondale Public Libraries and created an online virtual series for their patrons, Romare Bearden: Overlapping Meanings. Previously, Sasha worked for The Metropolitan Museum of Art as the Assistant National Manager of Visual Planning, where she oversaw the development of exhibition campaigns that coordinated with merchandising, marketing, design, and curatorial departments. She has taught as an adjunct professor of art history at Hofstra University, Long Island University, Nassau Community College, Saint Joseph’s University, and SUNY Farmingdale College. Sasha holds a Master of Arts in Art History from CUNY Queens College. Her research interests include the preservation of cultural heritage and late pagan to early Christian iconography. 

Jonathan Fidis is the Communication Director at the Hofstra University. He works on promoting the Museum through social media and publicity campaigns. While he was a Hofstra student, Jonathan worked in the Emily Lowe Gallery as an Undergraduate Gallery Assistant. Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Criminology with minors in Sociology and Linguistics.

Stephanie McGee is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She creates, develops, and teaches the curriculum for the 21st Century program. This program helps expand on the importance of art and education. Previously, Stephanie was an outreach educator for the Long Island Children's Museum. She was an educator in Freeport Public Schools for kindergarten through fifth grade and worked as an assistant at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Stephanie received a dual BA of Fine Arts from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Marisa (Ris) Aguiló-Cuadra is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art where they develop and teach the curriculum of the Art Explorers and Art Travelers Through Time programs, primarily working with elementary school students. Ris has been working with children and families for more than ten years as a youth counselor and art educator in a not-for-profit setting. They are a multi-disciplinary artist with a studio background in drawing, painting, ceramics, music, and performance art, and a research background in Pre-Columbian art, women artists, and LGBTQ activist art. Ris majored in studio art and minored in art history at Stony Brook University, where they earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. They hold a Master of Fine Arts degree from the City University of New York at Queens College.

Tamara Alfano is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She creates, develops, and teaches the curriculum for the 21st Century program. This program helps expand on the importance of art and education. Previously, Tamara was a Planned Giving Specialist at Bideawee. She was a crucial member of the Development team and helped raise funds and awareness for homeless pets. Tamara has a deep personal connection to providing hands on art and learning experiences for children.

Jessica Galarza is a Museum Educator at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. She works primarily with elementary students, developing and teaching the curriculum of the Art Explorers and Art Travelers Through Time programs. Jessica has experience teaching primary students in Buddha, Uganda, for a two-month long internship with the grassroots organization, Pathways Development Initiative (PDI), during the summer of 2019. Jessica graduated from Lehigh University with a BA in Anthropology and Global Studies and has three years of experience as a museum educator at Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG). In addition to working at Hofstra, Jessica is a part-time graduate student earning her MS in Library and Information Science (MSLIS) at St. John’s University.

Presley Rodriguez is the Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. Prior to joining the Museum, Presley worked at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, a house museum in New York City, where she helped manage the collection, plan exhibitions, and assist with fundraising. Presley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology from Boston University. While completing her Master of Arts in Art History from CUNY Hunter College, she worked as a curatorial intern at the American Federation of Arts through CUNY Cultural Corps and participated in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Alexis Gregory Curatorial Practice Program. Presley's research interests are eighteenth and nineteenth-century American decorative arts, with a particular focus on nation building and depictions of race.