Professor Emerita Elena Borstein, a founding member of York College’s Fine Arts faculty, will be honored at York College’s 2026 Commencement with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree and is widely acclaimed for her architectural paintings and pastels that explore “vernacular architecture, Mediterranean landscapes, and the interplay of light and shadow.”
Born in Hartford, Conn., Borstein earned a bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College and BFA and MFA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, “where renowned architect Louis Kahn strongly influenced her artistic vision.” Her fascination with architecture began while photographing Victorian mansions in Saratoga Springs. It later evolved into paintings depicting New York City neighborhoods, Cuban facades, Mediterranean architecture, and tributes to architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Luis Barragán, and Frank Gehry.
Borstein taught at York College for 32 years and, in 2015, donated 20 paintings to the College. Her work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Neuberger Museum, the Newark Museum, the Everson Museum, and the Hayden Gallery at MIT. Professor Borstein’s gifts to York includes a depiction of the original Yankee Stadium. It now hangs prominently in the College’s presidential suite. She has exhibited at more than 200 museums throughout her still active career.
A valued member of the York College emeriti community, Professor Borstein continues to maintain a studio in New York City while also spending time in the Adirondack Mountains. In 2025, Keene Arts in Keene, NY, mounted a retrospective exhibition featuring 30 works created over five decades.
The Commencement exercises will be held on the campus of St. John’s University on May 29.
