Amy Pekal ’15

Amy Pekal ’15 vividly recalls an important lesson from early in her MMC academic career: “On the first day of economics class, we were taught that time is limited and resources are scarce. My solution: make art, a lot of it, in whatever form.”

With a dual major in Art History and Business Management, along with a minor in Studio Art, Pekal pursued coursework that spanned 3,000 years of art history. Her research led to study abroad opportunities in Italy and Poland. Pekal coupled these creative pursuits with courses in fundraising and marketing.

“Marymount Manhattan makes it easy for students to curate their own paths,” she says.

In the year following graduation, Pekal enrolled in the New York Academy of Art in pursuit of a certificate of fine arts. There, she narrowed her focus on developing a body of work that included drawings, paintings, sculpture, and a site-specific installation.

As she establishes a studio practice in Brooklyn, Pekal finds inspiration from a variety of sources, including hiking, dance, and travel. She recently returned from an exciting trip to Bali, Indonesia, where she studied rice fields and Hindu temples.   

This spotlight originally appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of MMC Magazine.