Area High School Students “Put Art In ‘Hartwick’”

For high school students like Regan Finnegan, a senior at Oxford Central School, Hartwick made her feel like a true artist. 

“This is the first time my work has been in a show,” she said of her piece, No Parking. “It was so exciting when I found out I’d been selected.”

Finnegan was one of 60 students whose work was on display as part of [un]Expected: The Annual Regional High School Exhibition show in the Foreman Gallery.

“Their art really blew me away,” said Sydney Sheehan, gallery and exhibitions coordinator. “I spent a lot of time with each piece, and I was really impressed with the caliber of the work.”

 

Ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, painting, drawing, and digital art were all represented in the exhibit.

“It was really nice to see people looking at my art,” said Alyssa Campbell, a sophomore at Greene High School who submitted The Old House to [un]Expected. “And I’m really enjoying seeing everything Hartwick has to offer.”

It was all part of Hartwick’s Art Discovery Day, which gave 70 students from Cherry Valley-Springfield, Greene, Oxford, Schenevus, and Shaker school districts the full Hartwick experience. They ate lunch in the Commons with the J Term figure drawing class, toured campus, and got an in-depth look at the Makerspace, glassblowing and sculpture studios, the Book Binding exhibit, and the Yager Museum.

“When we saw how amazing the Yager collection was, we knew we had to bring our students through,” said Alisha Eggelston, a math teacher at Greene Central School who served as a chaperone. “I can really see our students applying to come here.”

 

Students also heard remarks from Karen McGrath, senior vice president for enrollment & student success. “It’s incredible to see your creativity and passion,” she said. “And by you being here, that tells me your future is important to you.”

The students were all from schools within the HartLand Promise counties, and many of them were seniors in the middle of their college search.

“We know the idea of paying for a private education may be overwhelming,” she said. “But we want to take that financial barrier off the table for you.”

But the biggest ahhs were saved for the studio tours, given by art students and faculty. 

“There were a lot of shocked looks on their faces when they walked into the glassblowing studio and the foundry,” said Sheehan. “It was this combination of excitement and total disbelief that this was all available to Hartwick students.”