PCA&D teams with Hershey Gardens

Hershey Gardens is the site for a series of paintings crafted by senior illustration majors at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.

“Four Surreal Seasons” features 26 four-paneled, surrealistic paintings that celebrate nature and each changing season of the year. Beginning with the top panel, springtime is represented followed by summer, fall and winter (as the bottom panel).

The exhibit is installed along the walkway leading to the Children’s Garden, and continues through September 28, 2014.

See images from the June 6 reception at Hershey Gardens in which the paintings are displayed.

A sample of the images created for “Four Surreal Seasons” are shown above and include (from left to right): “Seed of Seasons,” by Tylor Heagy; “Forest Spirit,” by Jen Kraft; “Irish Goddess of Rejuvenation,” by Victoria Hepler; and “Ethereal Deity” by Nicole Cruz-Ramos.

All students who created pantings include Taylor Buck, Tristan Chace, Nicole Cruz-Ramos, Alex Forgette, Matthew Guiliano, Adam Harris, William Hartzell, Tylor Heagy, Zach Heffelfinger, Patrick Hennigan, Victoria Hepler, Jen Kraft, Rachel Little, Matthew Major, Melissa Markovich, Kelly Mercado, Taylor Miklos, Danny Morgan, Patrick Nulty, Tori Poole, Sarah Schenke, Ian Tompkins, Brittany Tucker, Todd Ulrich, Aurelie Wagner, and Mike Yakovlev.

The exhibit has garnered attention in the regional media and includes: figLancaster Datebook, the Lancaster, Pa. Sunday News; WITF-FM radio; and the online version of the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot News.

“We’re very excited to be able to display ‘Four Surreal Seasons’ at Hershey Gardens and grateful for the collaboration with Pennsylvania College of Art & Design” states Don Papson, executive director at the M.S. Hershey Foundation. “Not only is the artwork created by these students stunning, it supports the Gardens’ educational mission and enhances the organic beauty of Hershey Gardens.”

A logo (shown below) to be used to promote the exhibit was created by graphic design major Steven Zimmerman ’15.

The series of paintings was envisioned to promote the Gardens during all four seasons, and was crafted under the guidance of PCA&D faculty member and Chair of the Illustration department Robert Hochgertel and fellow faculty member/PCA&D alumnus Jonathan Yeager ’04. “The project was initially based on an Exquisite Corpse project where several pieces come together to create one whole. This type of project has deep roots in art history and has fueled important exhibitions all over the world,” states Hochgertel. “The exhibit is an exciting opportunity for Hershey Gardens and for PCA&D to be a part of that history.”

PCA&D students created the artwork using an early 20th century French impressionist art form called exquisite corpse. Students created their pieces by taking four 24″ wide by 12″ tall panels (one each to represent the head, midriff, upper and lower portions of the legs) of a figure. Some figures are human, while others are a mythological or spiritual; some figures are of an animal or scarecrow. Once completed, the individual panels are assembled to create one figure. Theoretically, the different panels from all of the students could be mixed and matched creating an infinite number of different figures.

Students painted each portion of the figure to represent each of the four seasons. The head represents spring; the midriff represents summer; the upper portion of the legs represent fall and the lower legs/feet represent winter. The end result is 26 pieces of amazing artwork that honor nature and the changing seasons.

“Four Surreal Seasons” is another real-world project and is typical of the client-driven projects that students in all majors at PCA&D experience. It is such projects that set PCA&D’s curricula apart. It truly prepares them for a life in art & design.

Click the links to learn more about PCA&D’s degree programs in illustration and graphic design.

Hershey Gardens are located at 170 Hotel Road, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting them online.