Take a deeper dive into the 2021 Faculty Biennial, a showcase of wide-ranging talent

As the 2021 Faculty Biennial comes to a close, take a moment for a deeper dive into the work of our full-time faculty members featured in The Gallery at PCA&D and on our website. The Biennial has served as a celebration of the College’s tradition of mentorship and education, inspiring us with their dedication to PCA&D’s mission and showcasing their talents. This was the first time the Biennial was accompanied by an exhibition publication, and the first time PCA&D’s Liberal Arts Department was included in the showcase. The exhibit also served as an opportunity for students to learn documentation, archival, and curatorial skills, as well as employing the talents of alumni.

View the 2021 Faculty Biennial here

View the 2021 Faculty Biennial catalog here

The Faculty Biennial is an important tradition within academia that celebrates the crux of education as a system of mentorship and inspiration. These exhibits are designed to celebrate the faculty for their dedication to the College’s mission and showcase their creative talents. “Professors shepherd students through the sometimes revelatory and sometimes heartbreaking experience of learning,” states Dr. Jessica Sponsler, PCA&D Assistant Professor of Art History, in the foreword to the exhibition publication. “It is a partnership between student and faculty that lasts just a few years but leaves imprints that remain for a lifetime.”  

This exhibit honored the full-time faculty and highlighted the work of Pamela Barby, Becky Blosser, Linda King Brown, Maria Cummings-Miller, Jon di Venti, Christina Hess, Johan Klingler, William Mammarella, Justin Phillips, Dr. Jessica Sponsler, Aaron Thompson, Jeremy Waak, Eric Weeks, and Robert Young. The wide variety of media exhibited showcased the breadth of the faculty’s expertise. 

During the Biennial’s timeframe, there have been several related events and opportunities for more in-depth exploration of the artists’ motivations, and their accomplishments. 

During Women’s History Month in March, comprehensive interviews were conducted with many of the women faculty who were part of the Biennial. These interviews, conducted and edited by Cameren White ’24, Photography & Video have been archived on the College’s YouTube page:

Pamela Barby, Graphic Design Department Chair, Assistant Professor

Becky Blosser, Assistant Professor of Fine Art

Linda King Brown, Dean of Faculty, Liberal Arts Chair, Assistant Professor

Maria Cummings-Miller, Adjunct Instructor, Graphic Design and Illustration

Christina Hess, Illustration Department Chair, Assistant Professor

In addition to the video work by White, the exhibition was documented and archived through photos taken by Na’Chelle Morris ’22, Photography & Video. Junior Fine Art majors Isiah Bates and Jaymi Vilardo served as Exhibition Designers under the mentorship of Director of Exhibitions Alana Coates. Morris talks about the project’s challenges and rewards here; White reviews what he learned during the process here; and Bates and Vilardo discuss their experience here.

Alumni, too, held roles in bringing the Biennial to life. The exhibition catalog was designed by 2018 PCA&D graduate Casey Capece of Bark Hill Boutique. And Biennial work by Prof. Barby included collaborative work with Naomi Hudnall ’19.