Janine Polak

Janine Polak serves as Visiting Assistant Professor and foundation program coordinator in Purchase College's School of Art+Design, exhibiting extensively across the U.S. (including Essex Flowers and Brennan & Griffin) and internationally in Beijing and Australia. Based in Queens, NY, she has taught at Purchase since 2011 after completing her Yale MFA.

Her educational background includes:

• BA in Studio Art and Economics, University of Virginia (2005), graduated with High Distinction
• MFA in Sculpture, Yale University School of Art (2008)

Polak's creative practice centers on sculpture, ceramics, and drawing, exploring bodily forms and everyday objects through porcelain, glass, plaster, and mixed media. Her work employs both traditional techniques and experimental material combinations—such as dirty shoelaces in porcelain sculptures—to investigate relationships between physicality and conceptual meaning, often creating immersive installations that transform gallery spaces.

Analysis of her 15 most recent works (2020-2024) reveals a significant expansion into graphite drawings alongside her established ceramic and glass practice. This period shows increased thematic cohesion around corporeal experience, with porcelain installations like All Right Let’s Go (2024) and expressive drawings like Backbend (2024) demonstrating parallel explorations of form and materiality.

Her notable recognition includes:

• Aunspaugh Fellowship (2006)

As foundation program coordinator, Polak shapes introductory curricula through courses like ComX, Peer Mentoring, and Lens & Time, while her exhibition record—including recent solo shows at Vassar College's Palmer Gallery (2024) and Essex Flowers—demonstrates sustained creative leadership. Though specific grant history isn't detailed, her continuous exhibition schedule since 2008 indicates robust professional activity.

Her studio practice operates across multiple modalities, with ceramic works developed in specialized kiln facilities, glass pieces requiring casting infrastructure, and drawings created in dedicated studio spaces—though specific lab affiliations aren't documented in the provided materials.