Photo by Dan Loh.
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
A new exhibition in the Trout Gallery places faculty artworks in new contexts and connects student and faculty talents in a novel way.
Curated by 11 senior art history majors, Near at Hand begins with a Feb. 7 opening reception and continues through April 5. The students place works by studio art faculty members Todd Arsenault ’99, Andy Bale, Anthony Cervino and Rachel Eng side by side with intriguing historical objects and works from the Trout’s permanent collection. These objects and works include Neolithic tool fragments, an Ancient Roman paver and prints by modern artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol.
Each of these pairings highlights specific elements of the faculty works and creates fresh takes on them. The results, says Cervino, are startling and inspired.
“The size and diversity of the Trout Gallery’s permanent collection made a bit of surprise inevitable and welcome,” he explains. “In every case, it was a pleasant surprise to see and read the thoughtful connections the student curators made.”
The exhibition is the capstone project for the class of 2025’s Vivian Anderson, Molly Cicco, Phoebe French, McKenna Hillman, Katie Marthins, Sophy Nie, Ava Nienstadt, Cat Orzell, Lily Swain, Grace Toner and Liam Walters. Like Dickinson art history grads before them, they worked closely with faculty and staff as they researched the works, wrote and designed the exhibition catalogue, collaborated on the exhibition design and created educational materials to enhance visitors’ gallery visits. Unlike their predecessors, they enjoyed ongoing on-campus access to the artists and were able to visit the artists in their studios.
Nie focused on artwork inspired by Cervino's research trip to Svalbard, Norway. Having visited Norway during a 2024 semester abroad, Nie was glad to learn more about the Nordic landscape through this project. Helping Cervino pour a bronze figure in the show, she gained a deeper understanding of both that specific piece and of the artmaking process in general. An extensive catalogue-writing process—four or five major revisions to her essays, by her count—honed Nie's ability to write for a nonacademic audience.
“As someone who aspires to work in the museum sector, the process of curating Near at Hand has been incredibly insightful and rewarding,” says Nie, who will join her classmates at the opening reception, ready to answer questions about the show. “I’m very excited to carry the skills I learned into my future academic and professional journey.”
Eager to dive deeper into this show and the artists it spotlights? These public gallery talks offer peeks behind the curtain:
Learn more about spring exhibitions at Dickinson.
View more upcoming events on the Calendar of Arts.
Published January 29, 2025