Arcadia Exhibitions welcomed guests into the Spruance Gallery on Feb. 27 for the opening reception of “Forward Progress: Faculty + Staff Exhibition,” a showcase of works by instructors and staff from Arcadia’s Department of Art and Design. The exhibition, which runs through April 20, features pieces from 17 artists exploring the theme of progress through various creative lenses.

“The theme itself, Forward Progress, evolved from conversations within the show’s student committee about the contrasting ways in which the leading presidential candidates were discussing the future of our country and society at the time,” explained Arcadia Exhibitions Director Matthew Borgen. “It made sense to ask creative people how they choose to consider or express their thoughts or feelings about what the future holds in store.”

Visitors gathered from 4 to 7 p.m. to view the collection and engage with Borgen, faculty artists, and a committee of student collaborators, including Willow Edmonds ’26, Molly Russom ’26, and Kelsie Winship ’26. Light refreshments were served as attendees explored the gallery’s diverse range of works, from oil paintings and illustrations to mixed-media compositions and sculptural pieces.

“The Faculty + Staff Exhibition helped me understand how much work goes into a show,” explained Russom. “I have worked with Matt [Borgen] since 2022, my freshman year. This was an in-depth experience that helped specify my interests in museum and exhibition work once I graduated. I am now well-versed in all aspects of exhibition work, thanks to Matt’s teachings.”

The exhibition marks a return to themed faculty and staff showcases, a format last utilized in 2016’s “Revolutions of Making.” “Forward Progress” reflects the broader discourse of the 2024 presidential election while leaving room for individual interpretation.

“In terms of returning to a group show format to present faculty research, I was responding to students who were expressing to me a desire to see the work created by their instructors in order to provide context for the thoughts and opinions they were receiving concerning their assignments,” Borgen said. “In the past, providing faculty and staff with a theme helped provide some curatorial connectivity for a large group of individuals with very different interests and modes of working.”

“I think it’s often forgotten by people, myself included, that our faculty and staff are practicing artists alongside their teaching career,” added Edmonds. “I got to know a lot of the faculty over the time I’ve been here. They are just as passionate and talented at art-making as they are at teaching. I think highlighting their work outside of the classroom is important; it shows our student body and outside faculty a well-rounded view of who’s teaching us, why they’re artists, and that we all have a common ground in artmaking.”

Featured artists include Betsey Batchelor, Ash Garner “THECOLORG,” David Guinn, James Heimer, Arianna Kendra, June Lee, Carole Loeffler, Jennifer Manzella, Kyle Margiotta, Karen Misher, Christian “Patch” Patchell, Krista Profitt, Abbey Ryan, Abigail Synnestvedt, Idalia Vasquez-Achury, Julia Way, and Maryann Worrell.

“I never left college, and I’m a professor so I love an assignment,” said Loeffler, who has three works in the exhibition. One is an interactive piece titled “Weathered, Washed, and Woven,” which includes a table, thrifted linens, a pitcher of water, a bowl, and ivory soap carved into the word “fear.” The work invites attendees to use the soap and water to wash their hands before moving on to the other works in the show.

“I hope that by the end of this show, there’s no fear left because we’ve washed it all away,” she said. “A reason I create art is for me to heal but it’s also to sort of offer that healing to someone else.”

Arcadia Exhibitions also hosted a faculty and staff preview of the show from noon to 1 p.m. on Feb. 27, kicking off a new tradition for on-campus exhibitions.

“We’re trying to make the exhibition spaces more open to people who are here on a daily basis and can’t always make it to the other events after hours,” Borgen said.

Due to this new initiative, Teagan Tinuviel, student account specialist for The College of Global Studies, was able to make it to the exhibition. 

“I have an hour for lunch and it’s cool to get out and see what other people are doing,” said Tinuviel. “I’m always interested in the arts. I take theater classes across the way but I’ve never actually been in the gallery so I wanted to check it out.

“It’s also cool how many different types of art there are. I’m not a traditionally educated art person but it’s really great to see all the different styles and hear the artists’ perspectives on the theme.”

Two gallery talks will accompany the exhibition, offering attendees a deeper look into the artists’ perspectives. Learn more about those events on the Arcadia Exhibitions website here.