Nick Warner
In 1980, Nick Warner received a bachelor of fine arts in sculpture at Daemen College.
“Being at Daemen set me on the course for a lifetime working in the arts,” Warner said.
Having studied sculpture with Dennis Barraclough, and watercolor painting with the renowned James Kuo, Warner continues to make sculpture and paintings to this day.
Warner, with the Eyrl Pudney Band, 1979
While at Daemen, Warner was also the drummer for The Eyrl Pudney Band—a group made up of musicians who lived on campus; the group played a couple of gigs in the Rathskeller (now known as the Wildcat Den) in the late 1970s and Warner has been in bands ever since—including his current outfit, called The Saratoga All Stars.
In 1986, Warner earned a master of fine arts in sculpture at SUNY Albany. His major professor, Ed Mayer, used to say that after a student received an MFA, they either teach—or do something else, Warner recalled.
“I went on to become a carpenter for work, but soon realized that carpentry can also be a creative endeavor,” he said. “After a few years working for other contractors, I went on to set up my own business called, Warner Arts, which is still in operation today.”
Albany Center Gallery/ credit: Henry Bellagnome
Set up to accommodate high-end carpentry, art installation and his own creative work, Warner Arts has become associated with many of the galleries and museums in New York’s capital district, most notably the Tang Museum at Skidmore College, the Albany International Airport (AIA), and the Albany Center Gallery.
In fact, Warner served as head of installations at the Tang Museum from 2003-06 and continues to work there as a crew member. Currently, he is the preparator at the AIA’s Art and Culture program and occasionally works directly with artists in fabricating their work.
Along the way, Warner has looked back fondly on his time and training at Daemen.
“The fundamentals of what I have become,” said Warner, “originated during my time there.”