Amanda Molitor ’14: For two weeks, the Crawford Campus Center Gallery will display the result of the hard work and dedication of the students who took part in the “Art rEvolution” J-Term course. Under the guidance of Visual Arts Chair David Sigel and 3-D Design teacher Hilary Hutchison, 19 student-artist were provided with six hours of studio time daily (rather than the usual 40 minutes) to create a strong body of work that culminated in a gallery exhibit.
The intense studio experience was supplemented by art history lecturers and field trips to museums and galleries in Philadelphia in addition to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
“[The field trips allowed us] great opportunities to meet professionals in the creative fields and people who were equally enthusiastic to share information with the students and to share what they do with them,” stated Hutchison.
When asked about the meaning behind the title “Art rEvolution,” Hutchison stated, “We’re kind of being cheeky because artists are sort of thought of as being rebellious, so ‘little r’ is a little rebelliousness…And then ‘evolution’ because of the process of creativity and discovering who you are as a creative person and how you develop as an artist.”
With the ample studio time and assortment of projects, students found ways to grow as artists by putting their own unique spin on each piece. This focus is particularly illustrated by a project where each student was given a paper bag containing the exact same materials. Students then had to create a sculpture using the various pieces of wood, yarn, and wire. Every student was able to create completely different pieces by using the same materials, which reflects each artist’s creativity and willingness to be risk-takers.
“I think we had a great group of kids who were willing to be vulnerable in front of each other and to jump in with both feet and just give everything they had,” said Sigel.
Nellie Konopka ’16, a student of the J-Term course, found the freedom of expression offered by “Art rEvolution” to be both challenging and rewarding.
“You had to think about yourself a lot because the projects were open ended so it was up to your choice,” explained Konopka. “[You had to ask yourself] do I want to make this? Do I have the courage to not do what everyone else is doing?” Konopka continued, “I learned that everyone’s an artist which is kind of daunting because it makes what I do less special, but its also reassuring because I think art is very personal.”
Photo courtesy of Grant Regillo ’14
The student-artists involved in Art rEvolution were challenged and pushed to their creative limits over the two-week J-Term period. All of the hard work has allowed students to become more courageous in their artwork, and this is all currently manifested in the Crawford Campus Center Gallery exhibit. “The reward is hanging on the walls right now,” stated Hutchison.