The exhibit “Shakespeare Forever” was made possible by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities. The grant was awarded to Long Island University through the efforts of Prof. Manju Prasad-Rao, Head of Instructional Media Center, LIU Library, and Project Director for “Shakespeare Forever.” The event took place March 3rd –March 31st, 2016 at Hutchins Gallery, B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, LIU (Long Island University) Post campus. The goal of the exhibit was to create a better understanding and enduring appreciation of Shakespeare’s influence on America through visual works of art. The artist researched the images of American actors, writers, and producers and has created their portraits in various media using oils, acrylics, charcoal, pastel, and terracotta clay. Works depicted include renowned actors - Ira Aldridge, Mel Gibson, and Paul Robeson, and writers - Mark Twain, Walt Whitman and Faulkner. Dan Christoffel is a national and international exhibiting artist. He is presently the artist-in-residence at LIU Post where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate art classes. Dan works in myriad media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. As inspiration he draws on the grand history of portraits from the Romans to the present.
