Senior Art Showcase
F
rom the ART 444 show to the annual senior art show, the Academy’s Art Department hosts multiple senior art showcases in the Lamot Gallery every year to exhibit the pieces seniors have worked tirelessly on during their last year in Exeter. The pieces presented in the showcases encompass a variety of artistic genres, including photography and ceramics.
All pieces that are displayed in the shows are independently created by seniors, and each pertains to a theme the artist chooses. To be able to create and display the pieces, art instructors help students reach the level of artistry where students can freely prepare their own creations with their own distinct style.
“The passion and dedication of the teachers to their students help foster the talents of these young artists,” art instructor Rebecca Barsi said. “It is our responsibility to expose these students to the opportunities and resources within the visual arts, and help them develop their artistic voice.”
Senior Stefan Kohli, who took ART 444 this fall, the advanced studio art course strictly designed for students who have already developed their own artistic voice, presented his pieces at the end of fall term. Kohli said that during the course he created a series of photos on the subject of Lincoln Street in Exeter, which he saw as a typical setting of a small U.S. town, as well as a unique feature of the town of Exeter.
“I think that it's cool because that street could really be anywhere in small-town America, but it's a cool identifier of the town of Exeter – everyone who has lived in Exeter would know those stores on Lincoln Street like Gerry's, Burnham Dry Cleaner and the Arnold Bakery Thrift Store,” Kohli said.
Similar to Kohli, many other seniors took ART 444 throughout the year and presented their works. For example, senior Leah Sparks completed three pieces, including a portrait of Don Cherry and Eddie Shore, two Boston Bruins’ ice hockey players and a replica of a modern Bruins jersey.
“I'm a huge Bruins fan, so I figured in order to keep myself interested in the project, I would focus on something I'm very passionate about,” Sparks said. “Second, I [also] wanted to work on perfecting drawing fabric and shading.”
Sparks continued and explained that presenting her pieces was her favorite part of her ART 444 project and noted that she enjoyed working with her classmates.
“I'd say the presentation was the highlight because I was finally able to exhibit my hard work, and my family was able to come so that was a plus,” Sparks said. “Also being with all my classmates and having worked through 444 together, it was satisfying to finally be able to collectively show our art.”
Senior Katie McCarthy, who took two ART 444 courses this year, agreed and said that having her own artwork being exhibited in the gallery was not only enjoyable but also a rewarding experience. She emphasized that sharing her expressions and interpretations with the rest of the community and having her peers recognize her efforts and work was a valuable experience.
Like McCarthy, Kohli found his ART444 presentation well worth the time, not only because of the recognition it received, but because of the worthwhile experience he gained from preparing for it.
“I think it was an awesome experience for me and I'm really happy I did it. It gave me an idea into what creating an exhibition is like, and it was fun to share my art with the community,” Kohli said. “Though I think it would be really cool if we were able to exhibit our work in the art gallery, not just on the walls.”
Along with the ART 444 show, a group of seniors displayed their work in the annual senior show, as well. Senior Katy Kinnon, whose work was exhibited from May 15th until June 7th in the Lamont Gallery, spoke about her pieces in the show.
“I have a piece from Printmaking II, which is the art class I took this spring. It's a screen print of the figure of a woman with a bathing suit on her which is also a screen print. I have a collection of these pieces that I've been working on all term, but only one of them is in the show,” Kinnon said.
Kinnon explained how her pieces were inspired. She noted that her passion for fashion prompted her decision to screen-print a human figure.
“I'm really interested in fashion design and wanted to somehow incorporate that into my project,” Kinnon said. “In Printmaking 2, we do a lot of planning in moleskins so I sketched out a few different possible ideas and designs and I finally decided on screen printing the human figure.”
Barsi added that from the perspective of a teacher, watching the seniors create their own work and display them is the most gratifying part of the shows. She noted that she has been working with some students since their very first year in Exeter, and the improvement she has witnessed is extensive.
“The growth of the individual students’ artwork is evident as they progress through the various art courses that we offer,” Barsi said. “It is incredibly rewarding, as a teacher, to have a student in an introductory course early in their Exeter education and watch their creativity and talent evolve as they move on to more advanced classes, ultimately exhibiting in the senior art and ART 444 shows.”