Sharif Bey is a Syracuse-based artist and educator. His ceramic and mixed-media work explores the visual traditions of African and Oceanic art and African American culture. Inspired by modernism and functional pottery, Bey’s works investigate symbolic and formal properties of archetypal motifs, while questioning how the meaning of icons and function transform across cultures and time. Bey studied sculpture at The Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia. He earned his BFA from Slippery Rock University, his MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and his PhD in art education from Penn State University. Bey’s works are featured in numerous public collections, including a recent acquisition to the Palmer Museum of Art. Generous support for this program was provided by Art Bridges.

The Palmer is open late on Thursdays thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.