A Mother-Son Experience: Art at the Library
What began as an art project for a summer practicum course turned into an unforgettable memory for mother-and-son Sue and Andrew Wright.
Sue, an office associate who works in the Alma College Library, and her son Andrew are both art students at Alma College. They spent about 90 hours a week working on eight nature-inspired pieces of art that have been installed on the north retaining wall outside the lower level of the Alma College Library.
The artwork, which can be seen from the library’s interior student study rooms, was the Wrights’ way of giving back to the college from which they plan to graduate together in 2012.
Andrew and Sue Wright
“We named the project ‘Our Journeys Through the Seasons’ on purpose,” Sue says. “The students, the community, we all have journeys, and we wanted the art work to be connected to the college.”
After taking her first art class in 2005, Sue says she ran home to her husband in excitement.
“Art has always been my passion. It’s a love of mine. As a non-traditional student, I feel like I appreciate the knowledge so much more now,” she says.
When the opportunity arose to further ignite her passion for art and to improve the college, she was sold. She and Andrew made their proposal to Library Director Carol Zeile and then took on the task of overseeing the project from start to finish. This meant working with a budget, buying the supplies, and installing the artwork with the help of a contractor.
Though the pair devoted many hours in the art department during the duration of the project, Andrew says they were not sure they would meet their deadline of finishing the project by homecoming on Oct. 10. After all, each piece of art contains roughly 40 ceramic tiles, chosen for both durability and beauty.
“Working so much, at times, was frustrating,” says Andrew, a business and art major. “There was no time to relax, but it was definitely nice to work with my mother.”
The project has been well received.
“It was such a wonderful experience, and I’m so glad I can look back on it in the years to come,” says Sue.
Posted: Wed, October 28th, 2009 at 9:04AM
