‘Bringing art into the world’

Ethan Anderson ’24 has always felt confounded by the passage of time. Last November, they carried a camera around campus to capture images of movement, transforming time into something more tangible.

“Sometimes I feel like time is moving too slowly,” the studio art major said while explaining the meaning behind “Convergence,” a long-exposure photograph shot on film and now on display in the Traina Center’s Schiltkamp Gallery. Anderson took the photo as campus quieted for the evening, describing it as “a convergence of two paths at a glance, but it’s also the meeting of space and time.”

 “You can see more permanent things like trees and buildings, but the people are sort of blurred beyond recognition. I know one of the people in this photo, but in ten years I might look at it and not recognize them at all.” (Anderson revealed that the familiar figure in the photo is photography Professor Stephen DiRado.)

“Convergence” was part of an eclectic collection by 20 art history and studio art majors who are the founding members of the Clark University chapter of the Kappa Pi Art Honors Society. The exhibition, which will be open through Friday, April 12, was a backdrop for the Feb. 8 Kappa Pi induction ceremony, where the students were accepted into an international art honor society with at least 300 chapters. The 14 seniors, five juniors, and one sophomore were required to have a minimum 3.5 GPA for induction.

“You initiates, in your quest for excellence in art, have learned many lessons. We trust these lessons will remain with you throughout your lives as a foundation for your work,” studio art Professor Sherry Freyermuth said during the ceremony. “Perspective in one’s life has a role even more significant than that which applies to the studio or the library.”

Visual and Performing Arts Professors Kristina Wilson, Toby Sisson, John Garton, and James Maurelle joined Freyermuth in a symbolic sharing of light, honoring the “next generation carrying the light of artistic expression and scholarship to the world.” The group opted for electric tea lights rather than candles, and a soft glow spread across the room with the flip of each switch.

“It’s a terrific way to celebrate their work and think about the future capacities of these students bringing art into the world through education, interpretation, and making it,” said Wilson of the society.

Anderson was excited to connect with fellow student artists before graduation and observe a variety of art styles on display in the Schiltkamp Gallery, all representing the theme “point of view.” Five art history papers exploring the same theme are also available for reading as part of the students’ presentation.

“I take mostly photography classes, so I don’t see much student work other than photographs,” Anderson said. “It’s really interesting to see works made out of fabric, acrylic paint, or collage.”

As part of the exhibition, Skye Donaldson ’26 is showing an acrylic paint piece titled “A drop of colour in a monochromatic world” that depicts a multi-colored butterfly against a backdrop in shades of orange.

“A lot of my art has insects in it,” Donaldson, a studio art major, said after the induction ceremony. “I had plants in front of my house as a kid. I always went outside to watch butterflies. I think their life cycle is beautiful.”

Donaldson is drawn to monochromatic color schemes because adding a pop of color highlights a message for the viewer.

“Sometimes every day of the week feels like, ‘ugh, another day.’ But there are little things that are not just that ‘ugh’ feeling — they’re a highlight, something that makes your day good,” Donaldson said. “I like highlighting that one small thing.”