Exhibitions & Special Events

Each year special events such as lectures, films, and classroom visits by artists give students an opportunity to experience first hand what it means to work creatively in the visual arts. At the end of each term, an exhibition mounted in the hallways of the Elson Art Center displays the work of students in classes during the term. Throughout the year, the art department's Gelb Gallery features shows designed to support the teaching program and create connections to the community.

Last year the Gelb Gallery hosted the annual art faculty exhibition, an exhibition by a professional artist from the Boston area, a two-person show by Brace Center student fellows, an architecture show of work by former students pursuing architecture as a career, and the end-of-year Advanced Studio Art exhibition.

Two-Person Show

"Foreign Findings" featured work by two Brace Center for Gender Studies special fellows, Simone Salvo '08 and James Rockas '08. Salvo's photographs are part of an art-based community service project dealing with issues of gender and identity in Northern Thailand. Rockas's film, "On the Precipice of Extinction," and photographs taken while shooting the film convey his concern for the survival of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Christian Church in its ancient struggle with the government of Turkey.

Architecture Show

"Architecture after Andover: Study and Practice" showcased the work of five alumni brought together by art teacher, architect, and painter Gail Boyajian. “The projects they have completed in their professional lives and in their studies intrigued me,” Boyajian said. Cristina Mampaso Cerrillos '04, Jeffrey Pena '04, and Seegers '05 were students of Boyajian with whom she has kept in touch. Though Boyajian was not teaching at Andover when Kate Larsen '96 and Matthew Littell '85 attended, she knew of them from their continuing connection to PA and interest in the arts at the Academy.

Advanced Studio Art

The Advanced Studio Art course exhibition during the final weeks of spring term is a much-anticipated event in which students show work from the year-long course. After selecting work, students spend the first week of May preparing the gallery space, writing artist statements, and installing the work. This intensive effort culminates in an opening reception at which students greet friends, relatives, and fellow students.