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Stepping into the 044 Comstock art gallery, visitors find walls lined with paintings and prints, an atmosphere of creativity and artistic expression. The layout is simple and open; guests easily move through the room at their own pace.

“The synergy of people working in a gallery together has its actual physical effects when you see how it runs,” co-director of the gallery and Syracuse University senior Evangeline Berg said.

044 Comstock is a student-run gallery in SU’s Comstock Art Facility. Founder, co-director and SU sophomore Stella Kogan said the gallery gives students a firsthand experience working in a gallery in their undergraduate careers. The gallery’s quiet setting aims to create an environment where visitors can view artwork without the pressure of a typical gallery setting.

Kogan started working on the project at the beginning of this year, and the project got approved in August by the School of Art, which allowed her to run the space for the gallery on her own. Once the project was approved, they began preparing right away. Kogan and Berg patched up the walls, cleaned up, painted and began planning shows.

Kogan said the idea for 044 Comstock stemmed from her desire to explore the business side of art, along with her desire to provide new opportunities for SU students.

“I really wanted to give students a space where they can show their work and get that experience, because most students that graduate out of Syracuse with an art degree don’t really get that experience of showing your work,” Kogan said.

It’s important to showcase art in a school setting before showing professionally, Kogan said. The environment allows for more errors but more opportunities to learn from them.

Their responsibilities at the gallery mainly consist of collaborating with artists, visiting their studios and building relationships with them, Berg said.

Kogan said they first found artists through a Google Form, but found it more helpful to go straight to the source and reach out to student artists they like and feel connected to, mainly finding them through Instagram. Finding methods that work and methods that don’t, without any overhead assistance, has been a highlight of directing the gallery, Kogan said.

Annabella Berry, an SU junior who had her artwork showcased in the gallery, said Kogan approached her and asked her to participate. Berry’s paintings primarily focus on figurative and abstract work, embracing an intuitive approach to creating, she said.

Making art is usually an individual practice for Berry, she said, so she appreciated the space to showcase her art with others.

“Even just that experience of planning to have it in a place that would be seen has really affected me very positively and given me a sense of what that world might be working with gallery owners and just the process that goes into planning a show,” Berry said.

The co-directors are still learning how to foster a relationship between the gallery and an artist, Kogan said. Running the gallery has helped her learn nuances like boundaries and communication, she said.

Berg said she has been the most challenged she’s ever been this semester, but the experience has helped her grow in new ways.

“It’s really just taught me so much about communication and what working in a gallery could mean, and it’s been inspiring for my future and trying to figure out what I want to do,” Berg said.

The gallery was different from other times Berry had showcased her work because she was showing a series of pieces instead of just one, she said. She had to shift her approach to picking which pieces she wanted in the gallery. Due to her series’ consistent color palette of silvers and blues, she had to remove some pieces in order to create a cohesive body of work.

The gallery mostly showcases art from College of Visual and Performing Arts students, but the co-directors said they are trying to expand to create a wider impact. Kogan said it excites her to have a variety of majors come visit the space and connect over the art displayed.

This gallery provides an opportunity for visitors to fully understand the Syracuse community, Berg said. The co-directors wanted to make sure the space did not feel intimidating to visitors, allowing them to enjoy art without any pressure to find a deeper meaning within the pieces. However, Berg said the SU student body isn’t widely aware of the gallery, even those who frequently visit ComArt.

“So many students spend so much time here and make beautiful things and really develop their careers as artists in this place, and some people just have no idea about it,” Berg said.

Berg said she hopes the gallery inspires those who attend to continue interacting with art and to adopt different viewpoints.

“I want them to take away the thought of being open-minded and maybe even spark some interest in wanting to keep art and the visual arts in their life in some way,” Berg said.

Published on December 7, 2025 at 8:38 pm