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Seniors Sarah Deitsch (Norwood, N.J.) and Giselle Edwards (Brooklyn, N.Y.) are collaborating with a world-renowned artist and helping curate his exhibit as part of an intensive research project based at Lafayette’s Experimental Printmaking Institute this semester.
Deitsch and Edwards are working under the guidance of Curlee Holton, associate professor of art and EPI director, to create a retrospective on the work and career of noted African-American artist Paul Keene.
“The project is based on researching and developing the historical aspects of The Paul Keene Retrospective,” explains Edwards, an economics and business major. “Paul Keene is a world-renowned master artist who has a phenomenal career in the arts of drawing and printing.”
“Giselle and I are doing a review of his paintings, drawings, and prints and writing an accompanying essay,” adds Deitsch, a double major in art and American Studies and one of five Lafayette students named to the Patriot League Volleyball Academic Honor Roll.
Both students are completing a variety of tasks as part of the independent study. They are conducting interviews with the artist and a major collector and preparing an exhibit proposal, budget, schedule, and promotional packet. They are also researching and documenting Keene’s career and compiling a catalogue for the exhibition, which will appear at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa.
“Sarah and Giselle are getting a real taste of curatorial and arts administration by the varied decisions they are making,” says Holton. “They are engaging in critical thinking and are learning to prioritize and conceptualize a major exhibition from start to finish. These are critical tools that can be applied to many projects beyond the scope of the art world.”
The project is one of many special opportunities for students to work with professional artists through the Experimental Printmaking Institute. For example, in the Master Artist/Master Printmaker program, three seniors are collaborating with renowned artists to create limited-edition prints that will be shown this year in Tokyo and New York (see related story).
Deitsch and Edwards say Holton has played an instrumental role in guiding them through the myriad tasks their project entails.
“Professor Holton is a very successful artist, and he has such in-depth knowledge on so many different areas of fine arts,” says Deitsch. “I am always learning new things by watching and interacting with him. He has a lot of connections to professional artists as well. All I have to do is tell him that I am interested in something, and he will find a way to help me learn about it. I enjoy going to EPI each day because I am always working on different projects.”
Edwards calls Holton “a phenomenal teacher and artist” and a wonderful mentor.
With plans to become a certified public accountant, Edwards explains that the project may not directly affect her career path, but it has a fostered greater appreciation for and knowledge of the art world and has inspired her to create her own works.
“I have had the opportunity to travel outside the College and learn about artists, and I may not have been able to do this at a larger school,” she says. “Lafayette’s location near New York City and Philadelphia has been convenient because of the large number of practicing artists here.”
For Deitsch, the independent study is directly related to her future career.
“I would like to work in advertising, marketing, or public relations,” she says. “This work is helping me develop my writing and people skills. It is very rewarding to have a hands- on opportunity like this. It amazes me that I am working on an art exhibition to be displayed here in 2005. This is not a project that I would think one would be able to be a part of while in college.”
“Lafayette has helped me prepare for the future in many ways. Through various internships and externships and a strong liberal arts education in art and American studies, I feel that I have the skills necessary to move on to the next level after college. I know that I can bring something unique to an employer because of my experience at Lafayette.”
Deitsch finished the fall semester with a 3.90 grade point average and played an important role as defensive libero on the volleyball team. She also is vice president of finance and communications for Delta Gamma sorority.
A member of Association of Black Collegians, Edwards enjoys rock climbing and swimming at Kirby Sports Center.
Since its founding by Holton in 1996, Lafayette’s Experimental Printmaking Institute has provided an open environment for professional artists and students to create new bodies of work while investigating and experimenting with a wide variety of approaches to the print medium. Its artist-in-residence and visiting artist programs have brought more than 20 artists to campus, many with international reputations. EPI’s exhibitions and international exchanges have introduced a broad range of artists and contemporary printmaking trends to members of the Lafayette community and beyond.
A member of the Lafayette faculty since 1991, Holton has mounted more than 30 one-person shows and has participated in more than 75 group exhibitions, including the Seventh International Biennale at the National Center of Fine Arts, Cairo, and shows at Centro de Cultura Casa Lamm Gallery, Mexico City. His works are in the collections of several universities, foundations, and corporations, including Cleveland Museum of Art, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Villanova University, and Morehouse College.
Holton has mentored many Lafayette students in printmaking, bookmaking, drawing, and painting. He also has served as curator for a dozen exhibitions, authored many articles and essays, and presented numerous papers.
Sarah Deitsch ’03 helped Curlee Raven Holton, professor of art and director of the Experimental Printmaking Institute, curate an exhibit of works by Paul Keene.