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Welcome to the 2009 Online Staff Art Gallery.
This is an ongoing gallery devoted to showcasing the artistic expressions of Smith College staff. Whatever your medium - photography, poetry, painting, crafts, writing, drawing - it is welcome here. You can submit art whenever you feel like it - there is no "deadline."
Click here to see the 2008 Gallery
Click here to see the 2010 Gallery

Contributing Artists (in alphabetical order): Stephen Campbell, Dick Fish, Chris Gentes, Sabina Knight, Mimi Lempart, Heather McQueen, Ken Molnar, Jan Morris, Tom Riddell, Eric Sergel, Robert Young.

Sabina Knight
Associate Professor of Chinese and Comparative Literature

"Froggy"

"Blue Jay #3"

"Heron #2"

"Bridge #3"

Dick Fish
Photographer

"Harry Childs"

"Meg Jones"

"Steve Monteiro"

"Liz Carney"

Naomi Sturtevant
Class Deans Office

"Tulips"
Red tulips in full bloom - the light shining through their translucent petals causes them to glow with an iridescent shimmer. I tried to catch the look of the dappled shadows in the background and still show how the light glints off the leaves. There is always light even in the shadows of a garden.

"Amy's California House"
The architecture of the houses in California is so different thank those in New England. As I painted Amy's house I did a little "California Dreamin'" thinking about how warm it is there in the winter.

Stephen Campbell
Facilities Management
Custodian, College Hall

I have been a self taught wood worker for 16 years; a novice at painting.

"Grandfather Clock"
This clock I made is a downsized version of one I have always been fond of in Wilson House. It has a hand painted face with a cherry case and maple and walnut oval inlay and stringing. The child is my older daughter Maura.

"Hand Tool Cabinet in Cherry and Walnut"
The cabinet is my own design inspired by Jim Tolpin's The Toolbox Book. It is constructed with 150 hand cut dovetails. Most of the tools are "hand me downs" and EBay finds, refurbished and fitted with my own custom handles. It will always be a "work in progress" with every tool purchase finding a new home.

"New Puppy"
This watercolor painting is my interpretation of one by Winslow Homer.

Tom Riddell
Associate Dean of the College; and Dean of the First-Year Class

"Storm Over the River Camel Estuary"
North Cornwall, England
November 23, 2008

"Kingswear, on the River Dart"
South Devon, England
November 28, 2008

Robert Young
Public Safety

These photos were taken with a Nikon D70 digital SLR on recent trips to Arizona and Italy. To see more of my photographs visit: www.robertyoungphotography.net.

"Antelope Canyon, Arizona"

"Lake Powell, Arizona"

"Cinque Terre, Italy"

Eric Sergel
Public Safety

"Bridge of Flowers"

"Magnum XL-200"

This is one of the many rollercoasters at Cedar Point in Ohio. The view overlooks Lake Erie.

"Myrtle Beach"

This was taken early in the morning from a hotel room. The seagull just happened to fly into the photo.

Ken Molnar
Events Management Office

When I was a kid I was always drawing ... on everything, all of the time. Back then I really wanted to be a cartoonist. I loved Hagar the Horrible. I didn't really start "illustrating" until high school, where I had a rather good art teacher, Mrs. Allen. But I was by no means the best student: every art class has at least one super-talented illustrator, and I was not him. Then in college, after a fruitless year of computer science, I took exactly one more higher-ed art class, during which I noticed some improvement in my work. But then life intervened and I stopped drawing again. A few years later, out of school, I picked up my pencils and this is what came out. The blend of fine-art technique and cartooniness really appeals to me, and I try to pack in as much humor and whimsy as I can. I like working in black and white, because I can really focus on composition and form. When I am illustrating it feels more like sculpting "in the page" rather than drawing on it. Unfortunately, I haven't drawn anything in quite some time. Maybe it's time to pick it back up ...

"Campus Center"
Graphite on paper

"Red Canvas"
Digital art

"Special Delivery"
Graphite on paper

Heather McQueen
Clark Science Center

These are images of Leeds in winter.

"Main Street Dam"
2009

"Ice Cave"
2009

"Romaine Lettuce"
Watercolor on paper

MIMI LEMPART
Libraries/Collection Services

These abstract ink drawings are based on a technique called “Zentangle®”—a meditative drawing practice using deliberate marks on paper with repetitive patterns in a 3 ½ x 3 ½-inch format. How do these differ from the average doodle? First, lay out a border, then draw a ‘string’ or outline shape. Begin filling in (also called ‘tangling’) the segments within the string with one pattern, moving on to the next segment with a different pattern until the string is filled in. While each mark is deliberate and focused, the outcome is relaxing and often surprising. For more information see www.zentangle.com.

"Zentangle #1"
2009

"Zentangle #2"
2009

"Zentangle #3"
2009

"Zentangle #4"
2009

"Zentangle #5"
2009

JAN MORRIS
Student Affairs/Campus Center
To see more of Jan's work visit www.janniejoyart.com

"Wedding Photo"
Central Park

"Nature Study"
Central Park

"Rhododendron"
Smith Botanic Garden

Chris Gentes
Central Services

"CVS"
Mixed Media on Paper

This is a painting I did in 1997. I painted about 30-40 scenes of Northampton. Most of the stores are long gone. Some of the paintings in that series included: The Camera Shops, Lulus, Hot Harry's Pizza, Fire and Water, the Comic Book Museum, and a newspaper box for "The Optimist" magazine.

"Window on Main Street"
Watercolor on paper

After a ten year break I decided to start painting again.

GUEST BOOK

I love being able to return to these images again and again, but I
would also prefer to have a physical exhibit first, because of the
issues of scale. I am partial to Naomi's water color and Bo's photos
of the west. But the real discovery is the art of Zentangle, from the
work submitted by Mary Lempart.Thank you to all for sharing your creativity and thereby stimulating my own.

What an incredibly talented and diverse staff we are - poets, photographers, composers, craftsmen, artists, and more! There is genius among us - angles discerned, colors memorized and new rhythm created every day. So glad to be able to see this small sampling, if only online. It's in the sharing with others that we frequently find the most satisfaction.

Wow, Ken! I LOVE the "Special Delivery" one! Not only are you an amazing artist, but you also have very creative ideas to put on the page. Thanks for sharing!

Your special delivery piece looks like it would be a great illustration for a children's book. Do you have a story that goes along with it?

Also, the landscape with the seagull [by Eric Sergel]. I would say "I meant to do that" LOL

All of the works here are really beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Yes! Ken ... YES! Pick up those pencils again ... and pretty please draw some more turtles!

Chris ... I had no idea that you go way beyond gardens and photography ... I love these!

To all of you ... I am so imPRESSed!" Thank you for the showing ...

I'm giggling wildly with Ken's mouse! So glad those pencils are back in your hands.

The talent around here just doesn't quit!

Would love to see more. These are awesome!

Everyone's work is beautiful. We really have a talented group here at Smith!

Thank-you all for sharing!

Mimi, your work has convinced me to try my hand at Zentangling.

It is virtual. And that's nice. But I miss the real exhibits.....

Sponsored by Smith College Staff Council | Northampton, MA 01063
Questions? send us email | Last updated January 20, 2011