campus news and events

Artist and Scholar Lecture Series Spring 2011

Artists Who Make Prints
Tuesday, Feb. 1 - Hicks Alumni Lounge, Ware Campus Center, 12-1 p.m.
Mary Mead, adjunct professor of printmaking, will discuss her art and introduce the works of other important printmakers.

Mexican Art from Outsiders to Contemporary
Tuesday, Feb. 15 - Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery, Sawyer Fine Arts Center, 12-1 p.m.
Randy Hanson, professor of history and an expert on Mexican history and culture, draws on his years of experience of studying, living and traveling in Mexico.

The Art Photography of Nick Gaffney
Tuesday, March 15 - Hicks Alumni Lounge, Ware Campus Center, 12-1 p.m.
Nick Gaffney, assistant professor of photography, will discuss his work, techniques, and what he seeks to express through his images.

The Ceramic Art of David Ernster
Tuesday, April 5 - Ceramics Studio, Sawyer Fine Arts Center, 12-1 p.m.
David Ernest, adjunct professor of ceramics, will demonstrate his creative and technical virtuosity in clay.

Graphic Design: National Visions within a Global Dialogue
Tuesday, April 12 - Gordon Hall, Sawyer Fine Arts Center, 12-1 p.m.
Brandy Gibbs Riley, assistant professor of graphic design, will survey a variety of methods in which graphic design is used as a tool of communication.

Colby-Sawyer College to Host Professor Randy Hanson' for Presentation of “Mexican Art from Outsiders to Contemporary”

As part of the 2010-2011 Artist and Scholar Lecture Series, Randy Hanson, professor of History, Society and Culture at Colby-Sawyer and an expert on Mexican history and culture, will discuss Mexican artwork currently on display at the Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery in the Sawyer Fine Arts Center. The display comprises part of Hanson's personal collection, allowing him to provide insightful commentary on both the artists and the artwork.

Hanson will present “Mexican Art from Outsiders to Contemporary” in the Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery at the Sawyer Fine and Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 12-1 p.m. Admission to this event is free and the public is invited to attend.

The collection features work from artists whom Hanson has met and studied during his extensive travels in Mexico. His familiarity with these artists as well as their techniques and subject matter enable him to discuss the diverse collection in depth and provide new insight into Mexican society and tradition. One of the featured artists is Sergio Sanchez Santamaria, a contemporary Mexican engraver. His “Ex Libris” work has been exhibited internationally, and his exquisite engravings have been featured in numerous books. Sanchez Santamaria, whose work includes portraits of important people in Mexican culture, has been influenced by the classical work of Mexican engravers Guadalupe Posada and Leopolda Mendez. He also credits his artistic inspiration to modern artists like Käthe Schmidt Kollwitz, a German painter, sculptor and printmaker, and Kolomon Moser, an Austrian artist.

Hanson will also focus on the paintings of the Lorenzo family, residents of Xalitla, a Mexican village in Guerroro. Lucas Lorenzo, his three sons Aureliano, Jesus and Nicolas, and his daughter, Socorro, are all represented in the collection on display at the Sawyer Fine Arts Center. Following the folk art tradition characteristic of their region, the Lorenzos use bright paints on hardboard to depict religious icons. Their art also features Mexican heroes and legends in rural settings.

Hanson joined Colby-Sawyer College in 1996. He is chair of the Social Sciences and Education Department and holds the David H. Winton Endowed Teaching Chair. A graduate of Washington University and Indiana University, Professor Hanson's areas of expertise include United States diplomatic history, women in Latin America, Mexican history, modern Latin American history, and the Catholic Church and religion in modern Mexico. He also teaches courses in U.S. history, America in the 1960s, modern Mexico, and revolutions and revolutionaries.

-Jessica McLavey '10


Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the college's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.

Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000