Embracing the beauty of our differences

Belonging is a nuanced emotional need that’s top-of-mind for college students as they transition from high school to college and from college to whatever comes after graduation. Studio art and marketing double major Wynne Dromey ’25, MBA ’26, explores what it means to belong in her ongoing series of paintings and service projects titled “The Embrace Project.”

The series started with her original painting, “Embrace,” which depicts the infant Dromey being held by her adoptive mother for the first time.

“In the painting, my mom is physically embracing me, but she’s also embracing the fact that we have different identities,” says Dromey, who was born in China.

“We all have our own ideas of belonging. We live in a very individualistic society where social media is impactful because it spreads information really easily and really quickly,” she says. “That also traps us in our own lives and keeps people’s differences at a distance. My project aims to bring people together in person and actually face and reflect on what we think about our differences.

“The best thing you can do, for both you and your business, is to be your own biggest cheerleader.”

Wynne Dromey ’25, MBA ’26

“Clark does a really good job of encouraging students to use their individuality and see how that can connect with other students’ individualities.”

For “The Embrace Project,” Dromey began to consider the theme of belonging in relation to her own identities as an Asian American transracial adoptee and as an artist.

“I was thinking about how I am privileged enough to live a life with supportive parents, friends, and educators, and how being adopted was something that was completely out of my control,” Dromey says. “There are so many people facing circumstances out of their control who are not as privileged. I began to think about how artwork can be used to make a greater impact on these communities.”

This inspired Dromey’s work with Abby’s House, a Worcester nonprofit that provides shelter, affordable housing, and advocacy and support services to women and children who are unhoused, survivors of abuse, and/or low-income. This past summer, Dromey hosted three painting workshops at Abby’s House as part of “The Embrace Project,” funded through the Sara Bickman Arts Award.

“It was cool to be face-to-face with someone and hear what creativity and self-expression means to them,” Dromey says. “Some people hadn’t even picked up a paintbrush before, so it was amazing to be a part of that process.”

Dromey also worked with Net of Compassion as part of “The Embrace Project,” passing out meals to the Worcester community while getting to know her fellow volunteers and their artistic experiences and lives.

These endeavors led Dromey to be selected for the prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship, awarded to students who work to make positive change in their communities. She was nominated by President David Fithian, with support from Assistant Dean of the College Evan Wilson and attended the Annual Convening of Newman Civic Fellows held in Chicago in late November.

Outside of her volunteer work, Dromey is a prolific artist, currently working on her studio art capstone under Professor James Maurelle. The final component of “The Embrace Project,” her capstone is a series of portraits of influential community members that Dromey has met while volunteering. These portraits will also be part of a larger collection of paintings representing the theme of belonging in the Worcester community.

As she works through her creative process, Dromey has found that incorporating trash into her pieces through a process called bricolage has been integral to her artistic development.

“I like to incorporate trash and recycled materials into my paintings to give them a new value and new texture,” Dromey says. “I also want to show beauty in objects that are originally deemed as not valuable or discarded. I’ve been pushing that idea by taking old receipts, plastic bags, and trash that’s accumulating in my bin and turning it into a piece of artwork.”

Dromey works as a marketing director for the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, and is a familiar face at the weekly Clark Collective Pop-Ups, where she sells her paintings and prints.

Dromey has also participated in Clark Tank, the University’s venture development competition, and made valuable connections for developing business and marketing efforts around her artwork. She also hosts her own podcast called “The Colors of the Wynned Podcast,” where she discusses her ongoing creative journey.

“One piece of advice from another Clark Tank competitor was that the best thing you can do, for both you and your business, is to be your own biggest cheerleader,” Dromey says.

She hopes to carry this mindset into her future plans. Dromey harbors dreams of starting an art café and gallery, which would also feature affordable living space for artists.

“I think that everyone should consider what kind of impact they want to make with their artwork,” Dromey says. “The way I connect my art and entrepreneurship is to think about how my artwork can help both myself and others.”