To visit XL Projects—307-313 S. Clinton St.—take the Connective Corridor bus Route 543 to Irving Avenue and East Geneese Street.

Opened in 2009, XL Projects—in Syracuse’s Armory Square—was founded by students in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) who were searching for a facility to show their work. Andrew Havenhand, the VPA’s program exhibitions coordinator and an assistant professor of painting, says XL is “a location to showcase undergrad and grad student work that can be either curricular projects or personal pieces.”

XL Projects also hosts work by faculty, alumni and visiting artists, and it provides a long list of other activities such as artist talks, readings, film nights, and panel discussions. “XL” is a play on the word “excel,” while “projects” nods to the fact that the space is multidisciplinary.

Last year XL put on its first Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree show, which highlighted recent degree candidate art work and provided the students much-appreciated recognition of their efforts. This year the BFA show will be hosted at multiple locations, including the Shaffer, Delavan, and Coin galleries, as well as at XL Projects, during commencement week from May 5 through May 16.

In the future months XL Projects will host the following:

• “Fresh Produce” exhibition, showing 1st and 2nd year VPA student art work.
• Fashion design program exhibition, a junior student collection.
• BFA thesis exhibition by students in the School of Art and Design.

For more information, contact Andrew Havenhand, the VPA’s program exhibitions coordinator, at (315) 474-1217 or adhavenh@syr.edu. For gallery hours call (315) 442-2542.