Visions 2020

JOSELYN GARCIA, “UNTITLED (LYSOL)” KATHERINE MARTIN, “BOYS (HANDS)”

VISIONS NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF ART SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE

2020 VISIONS 2020

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HELLO

FROM THE FRIENDS OF ART. Don’t you think the time of COVID quarantine was the perfect time for creativity to thrive? I certainly do. Whether your creativity is to cook a new food, paint a picture or a mural, or perhaps to write a poem, it doesn’t matter. I worked on a doll house for my granddaughter! I have seen countless examples of the amazing things people have done as I am sure you have. What a time for you, as a friend of ART! The Friends of Art started with the mission of acquiring art to add to the Sweet Briar collection to be used to help all disciplines support their curriculum. We have evolved to include funding internships and student prizes, art exhibits at the college, the Living with Art Program and more.

I hope you will join us in our efforts.

In this issue we are saluting our wonderful senior studio art majors. As I write this, I have not yet seen their work but I cannot wait to see this issue of “Visions” when it is published. When I was a studio major, I spent my spring term in the basement of Babcock preparing for my senior show.

The young women this year didn’t get to do that, but as I have learned, they were adaptive to the new way things have to be done and have posted their work online for all to see.

So, to those recent graduates and to all of you, I put forth a challenge.

How can we all use our creativity to help and support recent graduates, current students, and our collection? To recent grads in particular, I ask for your help. Join the Friends of Art, and with your young and savvy minds, help us to have a greater, more functional presence on social media. We need YOU! JOSELYN GARCIA, “UNTITLED (ALCOHOL)” JOSELYN GARCIA, “UNTITLED (PUMP)”

I end this letter with the strong hopes that you are healthy and stay well and that the crisis of COVID is in our rear-view mirror. I have no doubt that there is an Sweet Briar alum who is out there working on a solution.

MARY PAGE STEWART ’78 President, Friends of Art

WORK BY SENIOR STUDIO ART MAJORS CAN BE SEEN ON THE SWEET BRIAR WEBSITE AT THIS VIRTUAL EXHIBITION: PUBLISH.EXHIBBIT.COM/ GALLERY/81343009/MARBLE-GALLERY-17911/ 2

VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (TORSO RIGHT)” KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (LEFT SHOULDER)” KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (PROFILE AND SHOULDER)” KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (BACK)” EMMA ZAK, ”NOT YOURS” AMELIA MENDELSOHN, ”UNTITLED (TORSO)”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT AMELIA MENDELSOHN, ”UNTITLED (PORTRAIT PRINT)” AUDREY HARDIANTO, ”GOLD PROFILE” PHOENIX BROWN, ”SHE HASN’T TOLD ME HER NAME YET” SAMANTHA GALINDO, ”UNTITLED (MAN WITH DOG)” LASHLEE MCCRAY, ”UNTITLED (BRIDGE AND SKY)” EMMA ZAK, ”EITARO”

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VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT AMELIA MENDELSOHN, “UNTITLED (OCTOPUS)” EMMA ZAK, “INTERRUPTED LANDSCAPES: GLACIER” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, “JUMP” JORDAN ELLIOTT, “SUNSET MOUNTAIN” JORDAN ELLIOTT, “CELESTIAL WHALE TAIL” SAMANTHA GALINDO, “UNTITLED (ROOSTER AND TRUCK)”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT AUDREY HARDIANTO, “DARK SEA” PHOENIX BROWN, “ BREAK THE CYCLE” SAMANTHA GALINDO, “UNTITLED (HORSES IN WATER)” JORDAN ELLIOTT, “PSYCHEDELIC FLOW CYCLE” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, “PINK DANCER” PHOENIX BROWN, “STRAWBERRY”

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VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT JORDAN ELLIOTT, “NYPHAEUS” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, “GREEN LIGHTING” EMMA ZAK, “GREEN ROOM” SAMANTHA GALINDO, “UNTITLED (FISH ON BENCH)” EMMA ZAK, “THE EVE”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT AUDREY HARDIANTO, ”BLUE SHADOWS” LASHLEE MCCRAY, ”UNTITLED (FARM SKY)” SAMANTHA GALINDO, ”UNTITLED (SUN BEHIND CLOUD)” AMELIA MENDELSOHN, ”UNTITLED (BIRD)” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”FAR AHEAD” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”BEACHFRONT”

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VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT LASHLEE MCCRAY, “UNTITLED (MARINA)” LASHLEE MCCRAY, “UNTITLED (STREET)” AUDREY HARDIANTO, “STRANGE NIGHT” ALEXA WRIGHT, “DARLING YOU ARE MAGIC” JORDAN ELLIOTT, “MIDNIGHT MOUNTAIN” ALEXA WRIGHT, “A MAP OF THE HEAVENS, SERIES”

VISIONS 2020

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”FALLING BETWEEN MOONS” AUDREY HARDIANTO, ”APPLE JACKS” JORDAN ELLIOTT, ”WAVE CREST, SUNSET” SAMANTHA GALINDO, ”UNTITLED (BUD)” SAMANTHA GALINDO, ”UNTITLED (BARBER SHOP)” AUDREY HARDIANTO, ”LUCKY”

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VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ALEXA WRIGHT, ”REBIRTH” AMELIA MENDELSOHN, “UNTITLED PORTRAIT (ORANGE AND BLUE)” LASHLEE MCCRAY, ”UNTITLED (BRANCH AND SKY)” LASHLEE MCCRAY, ”UNTITLED (DOCK)” ALEXA WRIGHT, ”SELF PORTRAIT” EMMA ZAK, ”INTERRUPTED LANDSCAPES: LAVA”

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ALEXA WRIGHT, ”DAYDREAMING” AUDREY HARDIANTO, ”BATIK” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”UNTITLED (GIRL IN THE WOODS)” KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (FACE)” ALEXA WRIGHT, “WRITTEN IN THE STARS”

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VISIONS 2020

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”CRYSTALIZED SLEEP” JORDAN ELLIOTT, ”SEA TURTLE” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ, ”WAMEKU” ALEXA WRIGHT, ”MILKY WAY” JOSELYN GARCIA, ”UNTITLED (NATURAL MATERIALS PROJECT)”

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DEAR EMMA, ALEXA, PHOENIX, JORDAN, JOY, SAM, AUDREY, DIANA, LASHLEE, AMELIA AND KAT This is the largest group of senior studio art majors since I’ve been at Sweet Briar. The senior exhibition is the capstone of the studio art program, a group show of work by the senior majors, presented in a prestigious Sweet Briar gallery, usually Pannell. It is highly anticipated and one if the most important academic events in Sweet Briar’s annual calendar.

In addition to making art over the four years, you were involved in every phase of exhibition, from photographing your work to designing the invitation to planning the catering.

One afternoon we were sitting in the Studio Art Senior Seminar class mulling over a title for your exhibition. Should it be “11,” or “The Eleven,” or something about “2020 Vision?” Then Joy Garcia uttered the words “Avant Garde Is Female” and everyone perked up. We instantly knew that was the name. You had been learning that there were many neglected but recently reassessed women artists who were instrumental in starting and developing avant garde movements of the 20th century such as Dada and Surrealism.

Little did we know that afternoon that you would soon be called upon to have tremendous resilience in overcoming adversity. On March 12, two-thirds of the way through the 12-week session, and halfway through spring break, the school announced the suspension of on-campus classes! Sweet Briar made a difficult sacrifice and we all joined in for the greater good of ‘flattening the curve.’ Everyone had five days to change plans for the rest of the semester. In the art studios, half-finished canvasses sat on easels, ceramic pots waited for firing and hot-off-the-press linoleum cuts dried in the racks. You seniors rolled with it; you’ve stayed involved. You never gave up.

Colleges mark their students’ progress with traditions and rituals which are deeply meaningful to the community. Many of these revolve around

graduation. One by one, these occasions were moved into a symbolic existence online. The senior art exhibition, “Avant Garde Is Female” could no longer take place. Annie Labatt, gallery director, and Shawn O’Connor, associate director of galleries, located the best program I’ve seen for making a virtual art exhibition. You had already photographed two of your finished pieces, and that’s what was exhibited in the online show. It was a fraction of the work you had produced for the show. We are all very grateful to Anne Dolittle and the Friends of Art for deciding to devote this issue of “Visions“ to you and your work.

Each year we invite a professional artist to talk with the senior majors in a group critique about the work in their show. Professor John Morgan taught studio art at Sweet Briar for two decades. His last year was your first year. It seemed appropriate to invite John to be our outside assessor. Instead of meeting in the gallery as we would normally, we had to meet online.

We thank Professor Morgan for his participation and insights. We also thank Jeffrey Owen, media services and A/V specialist, for facilitating that critique.

Henry Ford once pointed out that airplanes take off into the wind, because taking off with the wind doesn’t get you to the heights you need to really fly.

Through all this unexpectedness, this taking off into the wind, your spirit has remained the same. So you will soar, I know!

Here’s to you Avant Garde Females, don’t stop making art. The world needs artists more than ever, especially young artists with your energy and fresh point of view. Your art can motivate us to higher goals, and can make the events we are moving through understandable and bearable. You can help by reacting, reporting and mythologizing, as a means to showing the viewer another world.

I hate good-byes, so I’ll just say “happy trails” and keep in touch. Now, go forth and be fabulous!

LOVE TO YOU ALL, LAURA PHARIS

HERE’S TO YOU AVANT GARDE FEMALES, DON’T STOP MAKING ART. THE WORLD NEEDS ARTISTS MORE THAN EVER, ESPECIALLY YOUNG ARTISTS WITH YOUR ENERGY AND FRESH POINT OF VIEW. 14

VISIONS 2020

INDEX

PHOENIX BROWN 6 ”Break the Cycle,” acrylic on canvas, 22x32", 2018-2020 16 ”Palette (interrupted)/Revealed,” acrylic and tape on acrylic panel, 15.5x9.5", 2018-2020 6 ”Strawberry,” acrylic on canvas, 24x36", 2020 4 ”She Hasn’t Told Me Her Name Yet,” acrylic on canvas, 16x24", 2019, Winner of the 20182019 Friends of Art Studio Art prize, inspired

by Jules Olitski’s “La Belle Dame 7” which is housed in the Sweet Briar collection JORDAN ELLIOTT 5 “Celestial Whale Tail,” soft pastel on Stonehenge paper, 22x30", 2017 9 “Midnight Mountain,” oil paint stick and oil pastel on Stonehenge paper, 10x14", 2018 7 “Nyphaeus,” water color on Stonehenge paper, 22x30", 2019 6 “Psychedelic Flow Cycle,” acrylic pour on 3 16x20" panels, 2020 13 “Sea Turtle Contemplation,” charcoal on BFK Rives paper, 22x30", 2017 5 “Sunset Mountain,” oil paint stick and oil pastel on Stonehenge paper, 10x14", 2018 11” “Wave Crest Sunset,” oil pastel on Stonehenge paper, 10x14", 2018 SAMANTHA GALINDO, 4 “Untitled (man and dog)” 5 “Untitled (rooster and truck)” 6 “Untitled (horses in water)” 7 “Untitled (fish on bench)” 8 “Untitled (sun behind cloud)” 10 “Untitled (barber shop)” 10 “Untitled (bud)” 10 “Untitled (tree and sky)” JOSELYN GARCIA 13 ”Untitled (natural materials project)” 1 ”Untitled Commodity 2020 (lysol)” 2 ”Untitled Commodity 2020 (alcohol)” 2 ”Untitled Commodity 2020 (pump)” AUDREY HARDIANTO 10 ”Apple Jacks,” 2019 12 ”Batik,” 2019 8 ”Blue Shadows, ”2017 6 ”Dark Sea,” 2019 4 ”Gold Profile,” 2019 10 ”Lucky,” 2019 9 ”Strange Night, ”2019

LASHLEE MCCRAY 6 ”Untitled (bell tower)” 8 ”Untitled (farm sky)” 9 ”Untitled (marina)” 9 ”Untitled (street)” 11 ”Untitled (branch and sky)” 11 ”Untitled (dock)” 11 ”Untitled (hill)” AMELIA MENDELSOHN 3 ”Untitled (torso)” 4 ”Untitled (portrait print)” 5 ”Untitled (octopus)” 8 ”Untitled (bird)” 11 ”Untitled (portrait orange blue)” DIANA NGUYEN-CRUZ 12 ”Untitled (girl in the woods)” 8 ”Far Ahead,” digital illustration, Procreate 6 ”Pink Dancer,” digital illustration, Procreate 10 ”Falling Between Moons,” digital illustration, Procreate 8 ”Beachfront,” digital illustration, Procreate 7 ”Green Lighting,” digital illustration, Procreate 5 ”Jump,” digital illustration, Procreate 13 ”Wameku,” mixed media, Procreate 13 ”Crystalized Sleep,” digital illustration, Clip Studio ALEXA WRIGHT 11 ”rebirth,” 2019 11 ”self portrait,” 2019 12 ”daydreaming,” 2020 9 ”a map of the heavens, series,” 2019 10 ”interstellar” 12 ”written in the stars,” 2017 13 ”milky way,” 2019 10 ”inferno 2,” 2018 9 ”darling you are magic,” 2019 EMMA ZAK 5 ”Interrupted Landscapes: Glacier” 11 ”Interrupted Landscapes: Lava” 4 ”Eitaro” 7 ”Green Room” 3 ”Not Yours” 7 ”The Eve” 16 ”Crux”

KATHERINE MARTIN 1 ”BOYS (hands)” 3 ”BOYS (back)” 3 ”BOYS (left shoulder)” 3 ”BOYS (profile and shoulder)” 3 ”BOYS (torso right)” 12 ”BOYS (face)” 16 ”BOYS (profile)”

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Sweet Briar, VA 24595

VISIONS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT EMMA ZAK, ”CRUX”

SAMANTHA GALINDO, ”UNTITLED (TREE AND SKY)”

PHOENIX BROWN, ”PALETTE (INTERRUPTED)/ REVEALED” KATHERINE MARTIN, ”BOYS (PROFILE)”