Colby-Sawyer College Hosts Exhibition of Works by 14 Senior Students
NEW LONDON, N.H. - The Colby-Sawyer College Fine and Performing Arts Department will host its annual Senior Art Exhibition featuring students' work in a variety of media including graphic design, painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture.
This annual exhibit features more than 100 works by all 14 of Colby-Sawyer's Art and Graphic Design majors, who have contributed a selection of their works that demonstrate their professionalism and growth as artists. The show will continue through May 7. (The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment on weekends.)
The Presidential Purchase Award will be presented to a student artist whose work will become part of the college's permanent collection. The Susan C. Harp Memorial Purchase Award will be awarded to a graphic designer whose piece will also join the college's permanent collection.
Seniors whose work is featured in this year's exhibition include Elizabeth Ryan of Westminster, Mass.; Corey Rondeau of Burlington, Vt.; Christine L. Letendre of Hudson, N.H.; Caitlin Durand of Pawtucket, R.I.; T. Eliot Foerster of Newtown Square, Pa.; Rachel Howes of Newbury, N.H.; Alison Borghesani of Pasadena, Calif.; Ian Wiltshire of Bennington, Vt.; Joe Brown of Grafton, N.H.; Jessica McCabe of Storrs, Conn.; John DeGray of Wethersfield, Conn.; Meaghan Teneriello of Hudson, N.H.; Sam Moore of Loudon, N.H.; Renot Lopes of Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil.
The majority of senior student artists are Graphic Design majors this year, with only three of the 14 majoring in other fields. Joe Brown is the sole Painting major, and Eliot Foerster and Alison Borghesani are both Ceramics majors. Borghesani, one of the few seniors who contributed a work in the medium of clay this year, says that “Although I often work in clay to create pottery, I feel that I can express issues more important to me through my sculptural works. Whether others find my work beautiful or not, I feel that I have affected them in some way, allowing them to think about other cultures and rituals that they may not necessarily agree with.”
One student who has combined his photography skills with his passion for Graphic Design is Corey Rondeau. In a heartfelt piece that captures his emotions about the loss of his close friend and former Colby-Sawyer classmate, Corey Jay Worsham, who died in a motorcycle accident in November 2006. Rondeau combines photographs that depict the feelings associated with losing a close friend, with textual elements that illustrate how he, along with other Colby-Sawyer community members, will never forget Corey Worsham.
On his techniques as an artist Rondeau says, “By trying to combine a mature sense of logic that I've developed over the years with the curiosity and playfulness of a child, I am able to keep my work fresh and appropriately, I go about my work with the belief that opportunities are endless and that it is good to fail fast and fail often.”
Another Graphic Design major who is no stranger to the Colby-Sawyer art community is Renot Lopes. Lopes has been recognized numerous times for his artist talents and will contribute several paintings and graphic design pieces to this year's senior showcase.
“I like to create design with a purpose, and my work tends to be very commercial,” he says. “My design tends to value illustration and strong graphic elements that create movement. I look to create works that have multiple meanings and force the viewer to question and interact.”
Since the majority of senior artists are Graphic Design majors, the exhibition will feature primarily graphic designs. In her artist's statement, Christine Letendre writes, “In my opinion, art needs emotion and a point of view… Over the years I have become more interested in digital art and graphic design because I am amazed at the continuous advancement of computer technology and software.”
On her approach to graphic design, Jessica McCabe says, “I embrace the idea that technology and task should not hinder creativity… I enjoy the task of creating visual harmony on the page. In a world where everything has been done before, these processes help me be a creator among innovators.”
Many of the pieces in the show are for sale, with moderate prices for small framed graphic design pieces in the $30-$40 range and up to $100 to $125 for most pieces, with a few larger paintings for $450.
To learn more about other public events at Colby-Sawyer, visit www.colby-sawyer.edu/events.
-Michelle L. Buser '09
Michelle L. Buser is a Communications Studies major and an intern in College Communications at Colby-Sawyer College.
The Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery, directed by Rebekah Tolley, hosts seven major exhibitions and related public events each academic year. The gallery is located on Seamans Road on the west side of campus in the Sawyer Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and events are open to the public. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturday by appointment. The Mugar Gallery and Sawyer Fine Arts Center are fully handicapped accessible. For information, please call (603) 526-3000.
Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000
