2021 Senior Art Showcase

The Upper School Art Faculty is honoring eight senior students who have made the visual arts studios a meaningful part of their studies at Baldwin. Representing the sculpture, jewelry and drawing/painting studios are Asia Blocker, Megan Cooper, Elina Emami, Ava Gessl, Izzy Lee, Esther Moola, Ava Olson and Olivia Stratton. Although their future plans are leading these artists to areas as diverse as marketing, architecture, international relations and the West Point Military Academy, we hope art will always be part of their lives. We are proud of their achievements and are delighted to share their work with the Baldwin community.

 

 

A few of the students offered a statement on what art has meant to them at Baldwin:

 

Asia Blocker: “I'm very thankful to be able to do what I love in such a bright and inspiring art studio, surrounded by even brighter and talented artists and friends.”  

 

Ava Olson: “I'm an artist who specializes in 3D Design, Sculpture and Drawing. Using art, I aim to highlight political issues in my community through a method other than words; my creative side directly connects with my commitment to community engagement. Until high school, most of my art was 2-dimensional. However, after being exposed to 3D Design in freshman year and under the guidance of my amazing Sculpture teacher, Kenny Delio, I immediately fell in love with exploring the shape and movement of 3-dimensional art. I'm especially interested in working with different media. Many of my sculptures include various textures and materials to convey my political perspectives through art further. After creating a sculpture that visually represented younger generations' expression of gender and sexuality, I successfully advocated for LGBTQ+ rights on a legislative level, an incredibly unique topic given my school's all-girls community. After engaging in philosophical conversations with my peers surrounding its subject matter, I became determined to use art as a catalyst for societal change and social justice awareness. In addition to sculpture, I've also spent lots of time working on perspective drawings. Drawing from a mathematical, analytical perspective is not only something I find quite calming but also challenging. I ask myself lots of questions while making multi-perspective art, and I hope that the complexity of my drawings incites my audience to do the same.” 

 

Olivia Stratton: “My art experience at Baldwin has taught me the importance of having a balance between my extracurricular interests and academics. Art, in general, has always been a source of calm and happiness for me, and provided me with an escape from the stress of life. Before Baldwin, my experience with making art had been limited to simple drawings. Starting in ninth grade, however, I began to fall in love with jewelry making. From pendant necklaces to big metal cutouts to wearable crowns, I worked to expand my abilities and try new things. In my junior and senior years, I worked to create pieces that followed a central theme of feminism and female leaders. These pieces included RBG's dissent collar, Queen Elizabeth II's crown and Hatshepsut's necklace. My work in jewelry class also collided with my love for Art History, specifically with the necklace I made inspired by Ancient Egypt. I am now leaving Baldwin having found my artistic voice and with unique skills that set me apart from my peers, and I am forever grateful to the Baldwin Art Department for providing me with that.”