On Jan. 12, the Boswell Art Gallery bustled with excitement as members of the Poly community gathered for the opening of the Non Visual Arts Faculty and Staff Art Exhibition, a new addition to the variety of art exhibitions that happen throughout the year.
“For over a decade, we have held the Visual Arts Department faculty exhibition, featuring works of the Visual Arts Department, every four years,” shared Visual Arts Department Chair Arnor Bieltvedt. “However, this year we have decided to add equal emphasis on the ‘Hidden Talents’ Art Exhibition, which is basically the Non Visual Arts Department Faculty and Staff. Since we have known the Poly faculty for years and their varying interests and experiences with art, we visualized that it would be a great opportunity for colleagues not in the Visual Arts Department to share their interests and passion with art.”
The exhibition’s title, “Hidden Talents,” served as a testament to the creativity and artistic commitment of Poly’s academic teachers and administrators.
“Many of the students see these teachers only in classrooms and are not aware of their interest in art,” said Bieltvedt. “This exhibition, however, would show a new side of these teachers and help them to understand the people that work with them everyday.”
The exhibition featured a variety of works by 15 faculty and staff across the Lower, Middle and Upper School: Tom Allard, Susan Bartow, Amber Bocquin, Cynthia Crass, Michelle Feynman, Craig Fletcher, Cyril Hicks, Harvey Johnson, Margaret Kenny, Kathleen Schuhl, Catharine Stebbins, Patty Thurlow, John Yen, Raleigh Young and Barry Vargo. They showcased work of many different mediums, including paintings, photographs and sculptures.
Yen ‘89, a Poly alum, went to Parsons School of Design in New York City (NYC), earning an art degree. He presented several different pieces of artwork at the exhibition, including an oil painting depicting portraits of his family.
“Ever since I was a student at Poly, I have been creating art all the time,” shared Yen. “Some people know about my artistic history, but many people don’t, so this show was a nice opportunity to share that with everyone.”
Primarily aimed at students to create stronger connections between not only art but also people, the exhibition inspired budding artists at Poly to continue creating art and familiarize themselves with their teachers on a more personal level.
“It was just so interesting because I actually saw Ms. Bocquin working on her piece in class,” shared junior Akira Brown, who took Bocquin’s elective, Creative Coding: Generative Art. “I think it’s just so fascinating to see how she can connect both her love for math as well as her love for art and creativity.”
“We are so pleased that we started this new exhibition that we have been thinking about for years,” said Bieltvedt. “The reception of it has been really excellent, and I feel like it’s just starting. People still have access to that space; we are so grateful to have a professional space. Through this exhibition, the Lower, Middle and Upper School all came together to create art, and I hope that this exhibition can become a unifying voice for Poly.”
