Looking for Connections
Visiting Niblack Artist Sallie Ketcham ’73 shares her approach to art and encourages students to choose their own aesthetic during day-long mixed media workshop
For the most recent Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Arts Lecture Series event, mixed media artist and alumna Sallie Ketcham ’73 brought with her slides of works from renowned artists as well as samples and slides of her own mixed media pieces for inspiration and a series of exercises to stretch the imaginations, senses, and skills of the students in each art class. Her day-long workshop in the Schoolhouse Art Studio invited the girls at various times to explore textures, shapes, and vessel forms with slabs of clay, to “see” with their other senses using gestural charcoal drawing and newsprint, to look for the invisible energy that connects all objects in space, and to alter existing photographs to open up “windows,” allowing a view into all the connecting layers beneath.
Though tentative at first, the girls embraced these exercises -- and Sallie’s approach -- to look for the connection between the artist to her subject. She explained her approach this way, “I want people to have a conversation with my art. I want there to be a sense of mystery and a connection to my work beyond the object itself.” She encouraged the girls to find their own way to express their connections to their artwork.
The effect of these exercises was especially telling in the girls’ charcoal drawings. While the girls stood at their art tables with large sheets of newsprint, a volunteer “model” held a shape in the center of the room. Their instructions were to draw only the lines of energy that they see, and to refrain from focusing on details of the model’s dress, facial expressions, etc. The girls initially had some difficulty, but with each model, they were able to focus more on the essential nature and look beyond any external coverings. As Sallie wandered among the students, she was able to help them let go and simply draw the energy they saw instead of the object itself. Across the board, the differences between their first drawings and their fourth were remarkable.
After the girls were gone at the end of the day, Sallie began to pull together a mixed media piece using the elements created by the girls in the final portion of her workshop. The altered photographs -- all of iconic Foxcroft buildings and scenes -- were carefully layered and interwoven with other materials and effects to achieve an impression, rather than a static picture, of what Foxcroft is and what connects the students to the School. The final piece will be revealed at the Centennial Celebration.
The Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Arts Lecture Series, established by Austi Brown (Foxcroft Class of 1973) in memory of her mother, has brought a variety of literary, performing, and fine artists to Foxcroft to share their work, stories, and perspective on the nature of the creative process with both students and the larger community since it began in 2007. This Centennial year, the series has focused on bringing alumnae artists back to their alma mater to share their creative journeys in the comfortable and familiar setting they know so well with Foxcroft girls of today, and perhaps inspire a few to strike out on an artistic journey of their own.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
