Cambridge Artist Matt Chinian Brings "1000 Paintings" to HVCC’s Teaching Gallery

September 5, 2025

Gallery visitors will have the opportunity to create a mini display within the exhibit

“1000 Paintings,” an exhibition of oil paintings by Washington County artist Matt Chinian, will open Thursday, Sept. 25, in the Teaching Gallery at Hudson Valley Community College. The artist will be on the Troy campus to discuss his work at 3 p.m. in the BTC Auditorium and attend a reception to follow from 4 to 6 p.m. in the gallery. The talk, reception and regular gallery hours are open free to the public. The exhibit closes Oct. 25.

For this exhibit, a portion of Chinian’s nearly 1000 paintings will be stacked in wooden bins created by the artist that allow visitors to browse and select works to curate their own temporary groupings on picture rails installed in the gallery. The remaining works will be installed throughout both floors of the Teaching Gallery.

Following his 30-year career as a carpenter, Chinian returned to painting 13 years ago. He mostly works outdoors (plein air), no matter the weather, and “all at once” (alla prima) – he does not alter his landscapes after leaving the location.

“Much like a diary, the subjects are places I find while doing other stuff; things I see driving by. I like to think I can paint anything, anytime, anywhere. It’s not the case. I will often drive around and not be able to settle on a scene,” Chinian writes about his work process. “I [sometimes] let my mood or inclination choose the scene, some days a parking lot, some days a street scene, some days tree shadows or whatever catches my eye. Some days I really want to paint something new and different, some days I want something more familiar, other days I’ll want to do a better version of a previous scene.” He also works on still life paintings in his studio on Main Street in the Village of Cambridge.

Born in Cambridge, MA, Chinian earned a B.A. degree in sculpture and drawing from Bennington College in 1984 and a M.F.A. in sculpture and painting at the University of Albany in 1988. His work has been included in nearly 50 exhibits throughout the Capital Region and beyond from 2013 to the present, and he’s completed several artist residencies, including at R.A.R.O. in Barcelona, Spain in 2024.

The Teaching Gallery hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday; noon - 4 p.m. Saturday; it is closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free. “1000 Paintings” closes on Saturday, Oct. 25. For directions to the gallery, located on the ground floor of the Administration Building, and more information, visit www.hvcc.edu/teachinggallery.

Exhibitions in The Teaching Gallery are installed and assisted by students enrolled in Gallery Management courses and supported by the Department of Fine Arts, Theatre Arts and Digital Media, the Cultural Affairs Program and the HVCC Foundation. Professor Tara Fracalossi is gallery director.