Arts

Bridgewater Music Alumna Leads her Students to Carnegie Hall

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:56:38 +0000

Bridgewater Music Alumna Leads her Students to Carnegie Hall BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 03/25/2026 - 09:56

Colleen McDonough also performed at the renowned venue as a 91��Ƶ student

March 26, 2026

Brian Benson, G'23

For many musicians, performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. Weymouth High School choral director Colleen McDonough, ’18, has now achieved it twice.

McDonough first graced one of the world’s most iconic stages as a 91��Ƶ student and member of the university’s Chamber Singers. Inspired by that surreal experience, she recently created the same opportunity for her students.

“It's incredible to think of the people who stood on that stage,” she said. “You could be standing exactly where Judy Garland stood. That’s really powerful.”

While McDonough’s Carnegie experience was a highlight of her 91��Ƶ journey, it was far from the only thing she gained from college. Arriving on campus as an older music education student, she thought she would attend classes and then go home. But her mindset completely changed when she experienced the welcoming, supportive atmosphere of 91��Ƶ’s music department.

“What I found instead was a family,” McDonough said. “Many of the folks I went to college with are now my best friends.”

McDonough appreciated many of the faculty, including Drs. Sarah McQuarrie, Jean Kreiling and Steven Young, who she still considers her mentors eight years after graduating.

“They still to this day have significant impacts on the work that I do,” she said. “I was incredibly well prepared for the world of music education, and we were always held to incredibly high standards.”

As a student, McDonough quickly understood the skills she needed to hone and was unafraid to ask for the resources that would set her up for success, McQuarrie recalled.

"I'm just so proud of her," McQuarrie said. "She's definitely a leader and role model and always trying to do better."

Both of McDonough's Carnegie performances were part of concerts that the nonprofit Distinguished Concerts International New York organized. While 91��Ƶ students joined singers from other schools, the Weymouth musicians enjoyed having the stage to themselves as McDonough led them through 35 minutes of singing as part of a concert titled “A Legacy of Song.”

Music has shaped McDonough’s career, fueled her passion, and built lasting friendships. She and her fellow Bears who performed at Carnegie keep the memory alive through a special tradition: singing music from their performance at each other’s weddings.

“It proves the power of music and the power of community,” she said. “Bridgewater gave me those things.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

They still to this day have significant impacts on the work that I do. I was incredibly well prepared for the world of music education, and we were always held to incredibly high standards.

Colleen McDonough, ’18, on the role of 91��Ƶ music faculty

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Alumni Profile

Arts

Alumnus Paints Portraits of Victims of Nazi Persecution

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:01:08 +0000

Alumnus Paints Portraits of Victims of Nazi Persecution BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 01/14/2026 - 15:01

Bry Sharland’s work tells the stories of queer individuals imprisoned in concentration camps

January 15, 2026

Brian Benson, G'23

Fritz Kitzing was first arrested for simply wearing gender non-conforming clothing. Josef Kohout’s “crime”? Mailing a Christmas card to his boyfriend.

Kitzing and Kohout were among thousands of LGBT people imprisoned by the Nazis in World War II concentration camps during the Holocaust. While they both survived, many others died after facing horrific living conditions and torture at the hands of their captors.

Now their stories – and faces – live on through the talent of painter Bry Sharland, ’07, who is creating portraits of the victims.

“I hope it’s not just an upsetting reminder of something bad, but rather a celebration of the amazing lives people lived and an awareness of how freedom turned into tyranny,” said Sharland, who studied fine arts and secondary education at Bridgewater State and teaches middle school art in East Bridgewater.

Sharland named his initiative the Pink Triangle Portraits, a reference to the uniform patches that gay prisoners had to wear in concentration camps. He has painted about 60 portraits, many of which are on display through January at the Bridgewater Public Library.

Sharland uses bright, vibrant colors because, as he writes on his website, he is “giving color and dignity to those who had it stripped away.” Though he is predominately working from arrest records and mug shots, Sharland paints most individuals in street clothes rather than prison uniforms.

“The project became less about just documenting the people and more about celebrating the stories of their lives,” he said.

Sharland writes short narratives that accompany the portraits. These biographies offer a comprehensive view of their lives, rather than solely focusing on their incarceration.

He is not sure how he became interested in this lesser-known aspect of the Holocaust. But he remembers a high school history teacher letting him speak about the other minority groups who were targeted by Nazis alongside Jewish people.

In college, Sharland created artwork depicting scenes from concentration camps. He appreciated how his Bridgewater professors challenged him to explore new art mediums.

“I felt like it was always a supportive place,” Sharland said, recalling how he first made connections on campus as president of his high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. “It was always a welcoming environment for queer people.”

He praised faculty for helping him hone his research and writing skills. He even studied German, something that is useful as he scours archives for photos and biographical information.

Sharland has gathered information on about 500 people, although that represents just a fraction of the victims. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum estimates that 5,000 to 15,000 homosexual men were imprisoned in concentration camps and approximately 50,000 men served prison terms as convicted homosexuals. Sharland is committed to telling as many stories as possible.

“It’s taking the narrative away from the Nazis and giving it back to the queer individual,” he said.

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I hope it’s not just an upsetting reminder of something bad, but rather a celebration of the amazing lives people lived and an awareness of how freedom turned into tyranny.

Bry Sharland, ’07

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Arts

Alumni Profile

Photo by Charlie Peters, G'20

Choral Festival Provides 91��Ƶ Students with Hands-On Experience

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:20:22 +0000

Choral Festival Provides 91��Ƶ Students with Hands-On Experience BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 12/11/2025 - 09:20

Event brings together Bears and regional high school singers

December 11, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

As an aspiring choir teacher, Jillian Barton, ’27, wants to inspire her future students to broaden their horizons. Recently, she got a hands-on lesson in the behind-the-scenes logistics necessary for creating truly meaningful musical experiences.

Jillian served as a manager for 91��Ƶ’s inaugural high school choral festival, a day-long event that brought together more than 300 students from 23 high schools.

“I was very excited because my goal is to work with high school choirs and do events similar to this,” said Jillian, a music education major, who transferred from Berklee College of Music because she wanted a strong foundation in teaching. “Events like this are particularly important. They’re where I made most of my musical memories growing up.”

Jillian, and fellow manager Giana Uwazany, ’26, a music performance major and dance minor, helped create a welcoming festival where students sang in larger choirs than they are accustomed to joining. The event concluded with a concert where the high schoolers performed alongside 70 91��Ƶ singers.

Unlike many festivals, 91��Ƶ welcomed any high school student – no auditions required.

“That was a huge, overwhelming success,” said Dr. Brad Dumont, an assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at 91��Ƶ. “It made it really unique. …We had students here who maybe wouldn’t do some other festivals.”

Student organizers helped visitors navigate campus, coordinated bus parking, and handled a plethora of other logistical issues. They also networked with current teachers such as Patrick Lynch, ’24, the band and choral director at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.

Lynch appreciated that the festival was open to all without financial barriers or auditions.

“The biggest thing is how accessible it was to everybody,” said Lynch, who had some participating students who were new to chorus. “I think that’s reflective of the school and the school’s values.”

For Jillian and Giana, stepping into organizational roles helped build important leadership skills. This is just one example of the many opportunities Dumont and his fellow music professors provide for students, they said

“They truly do care about you,” Giana said. “That was something that made me choose this school. I went with my gut, and I couldn’t imagine picking anywhere else.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

(Professors) truly do care about you. That was something that made me choose this school. I went with my gut, and I couldn’t imagine picking anywhere else.

Giana Uwazany, ’26

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Arts

Center Stage

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:36:39 +0000

Center Stage BBENSON@bridgew.edu Mon, 09/29/2025 - 11:36

Music major feels at home in stadiums, classrooms and beyond

September 30, 2025

Brian Benson, G’23

At the end of high school, Delaney Hughes, ’26, was relegated to playing the flute over Zoom amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Just a few years later, the 91��Ƶ student performed a solo near the 50-yard line of an NFL stadium.

Delaney is a member of the Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps, which played at LucasOil Stadium in Indianapolis for the Drum Corps International world championships. She credits her music-related experiences at 91��Ƶ with providing the confidence to excel on such a large stage.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” said Delaney, a music education major from Franklin. “All of the faculty and my peers are so supportive. They’re looking at your potential, not how good you are at the start. It’s a very growth-focused environment.”

Flutes have not historically been part of competitive drum corps, which are highly advanced marching bands that emphasize brass and percussion. Thus, Delaney learned how to play percussion when she joined the Hurricanes a few years ago. However, a recent rule change allowed corps to include woodwind soloists, opening the door for the Hurricanes to feature Delaney playing Evanescence’s “Hi-Lo” on her flute.

The Hurricanes “really strive to be an educational drum corps, but we also have really high expectations competitively and we do well in our class,” she said.

That encouraging atmosphere reminds Delaney of life at 91��Ƶ, where her performance resume includes concerts with the Wind Ensemble and Flute Choir and football games with the Bear Band. She also leads the 91��Ƶ chapters of the National Association for Music Educators and International Alliance for Women in Music. The latter organization focuses on presenting songs by women composers, and Delaney studied female flute composers through 91��Ƶ’s undergraduate research program.

Delaney aspires to use her broad musical experience to teach music to elementary students, where she can instill a lifelong love of the art form just as her early music teachers inspired her.

“I really love working with the littler kids,” said Delaney, who worked as a nanny during a gap year between high school and college. “Just to get them excited about music at such a young age so it sticks with them into adolescence and as adults.”

Delaney praised the support and individualized instruction of Donald Zook, who teaches the flute at 91��Ƶ. In Dr. Sarah McQuarrie’s music education classes, she enjoyed hands-on lessons where students practice teaching each other, making them more prepared to lead their own classrooms.

“I feel more connected to my peers and faculty than a lot of people at other schools might,” she said. “I’ve made lifelong friends and professional connections that I will have with me as a teacher.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I feel like I’ve grown a lot. All of the faculty and my peers are so supportive. They’re looking at your potential, not how good you are at the start. It’s a very growth-focused environment.

Delaney Hughes, ’26

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Student Spotlight

Arts

Right in Tune

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:58:52 +0000

Right in Tune BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 03/19/2025 - 14:58

Student group takes center stage at landmark Carnegie Hall

March 20, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

When Giana Uwazany, ’26, began singing in third grade, she had no aspirations of being a professional musician never mind performing on one of the world’s grandest stages.

In high school, Giana realized she wanted to pursue music as a career. But singing at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall? That wasn’t a possibility until she became a Bridgewater State student.

“That was something I never thought I’d be able to do,” said Giana, a music performance major and dance minor from Brimfield. “To be able to sing on a stage as prestigious as that was amazing and such a unique experience.”

Giana and 19 of her 91��Ƶ peers traveled to New York City over spring break with Assistant Professor Brad Dumont, who arranged for the Carnegie Hall performance through the organization National Concerts. The 91��Ƶ students, joined by peers from Baylor and Linfield universities, formed a nearly 200-person chorus to sing the world premiere of “The Wilderness of You” by Andrea Ramsey.

“Not only performing at Carnegie Hall, but to premiere a piece that had never been performed before was a really big thing,” said Hannah Sirard, ’25, a music major from Amherst. “We were making a mark on history.”

Ramsey, a well-known composer of choral music, wrote the 25-minute piece to explore connections between the natural world and the human body.

“I was really proud of how they all showed up for the music and showed up for themselves,” said Dr. Dumont, remarking on the students’ confidence on such a big stage. “I saw all the students looking up from their score in a new way.”

For Dakota Potter, ’27, a transfer student in his first semester as a Bear, the trip provided an opportunity to bond with his new classmates.

“I was able to be brought into the fold right away,” said Dakota, an archaeology major and history minor from Keene, New Hampshire. “Everyone on the trip was very accepting and inclusive.”

91��Ƶ financially supported the students’ travel, including offering scholarships for those with financial need. While in New York, students toured museums and attended music and theatrical performances.

They also participated in rehearsals and worked with Ramsey. Collaborating directly with the composer brought a deeper meaning to the piece, said Kai Morgan, ’26, a music major from Weymouth who is an aspiring composer.

Kai praised Dumont and other music faculty for giving students such memorable experiences.

“I love the Music Department so much,” he said. “So many professors go above and beyond for their students and care so much.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Not only performing at Carnegie Hall, but to premiere a piece that had never been performed before was a really big thing. We were making a mark on history.

Hannah Sirard, ’25

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Arts

Music Calling

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:21:03 +0000

Music Calling BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 12/31/2024 - 09:21

Career-changing student pursues job as music teacher

January 2, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

Returning to college as a 46-year-old, Stratos Bonos, ’26, worried how he would be received on campus. As it turned out, Stratos had nothing to fear at Bridgewater State.

“I truly felt a genuine welcome from everyone I encountered,” said the music education major from Grafton. “It’s very rare to find this type of culture and environment at other schools. It’s genuine here.”

Stratos started taking college classes right after high school but put his degree on hold for financial reasons. He then became heavily involved in retail work, rising to district manager during a 23-year career at TJX Companies. But he missed a passion for music that flourished while he was in high school.

Seeking a career change, Stratos is back in the classroom studying to become a music teacher, ideally focusing on high school chorus or elementary music. He hopes to provide a space where students feel a sense of belonging just as he experienced in high school choral classes.

Stratos felt at home at 91��Ƶ from his first time on campus. Transfer Services Director Jeff Sarahs, '10, G'12, and Dr. Sarah McQuarrie, chairperson of the Department of Music, were eager to meet him and helped him assimilate to Bridgewater.

When a severe car crash upended one semester, Stratos appreciated how accommodating his professors were about extending deadlines for assignments. It’s another example of the culture at Bridgewater that he finds so impressive.

In class, McQuarrie emphasizes the real-world applications of course concepts. Learning at 91��Ƶ has a purpose beyond passing an exam, said Stratos, who even conducted a chorus during 91��Ƶ's recent Holiday Extravaganza.

“She also shows a lot of patience, which is something as a teacher that I want to exhibit,” he said. “It’s about the journey and recognizing those small successes. She role models that every day.”

Stratos has a dynamic personality and is a strong critical thinker who is unafraid to ask questions, McQuarrie said.

“Stratos is very well liked and well respected among his peers,” she said. “He blends right in with the other students. He does not have any sort of preconception that he’s older or wiser. He’s there to learn.”

Outside of the classroom, Stratos serves as a tour guide, where he ensures prospective students feel the positive atmosphere he experienced.

“It’s been everything,” he said of coming to 91��Ƶ. “It’s what has sustained me. It's what is setting me up for the next chapter of my life.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I truly felt a genuine welcome from everyone I encountered. It’s very rare to find this type of culture and environment at other schools. It’s genuine here.

Stratos Bonos, ’26

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Student Spotlight

Arts

Photos by Mackenzie Rubitschung, ’21, G’27, and Kendell French, ’25

Photographic Memories

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:44:28 +0000

Photographic Memories BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 09/19/2024 - 08:44

Instructor uses art to help youngsters deal with loss

September 19, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

As a summer camp photographer, Doug Breault, ’12, captures the pure joy of kids at play. But for the children he typically photographs, joy can be an emotion that too often feels distant.

Breault volunteers for a program that serves children who are grieving the death of a loved one – a feeling he knows all too well.

“When I was a Bridgewater student and I lost my dad, I realized the only thing that made me feel better was helping other people,” said Breault, who earned a degree in studio art from Bridgewater State and now teaches part-time at his alma mater.

That’s exactly what he has done for the past two summers at a Maine camp for boys who have lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. The program is part of Experience Camps, a nonprofit that operates across the country.

Breault documented traditional camp activities and poignant moments where campers reflected on their experiences. Just as important, he became an empathetic mentor ready to listen to the campers and help them grow.

“It’s really challenging to be in an environment where every kid has had this impactful loss,” he said. “They’re trying to regain some social confidence, try new skills, and even just talk about it at first.”

Breault faced similar challenges after his father died by suicide. Instead of summer camp, he found comfort in Bridgewater State art classes, where his artistic endeavors became an outlet for his grief.

“I never took an art class before coming to Bridgewater,” said Breault, who initially explored writing and psychology as potential majors. “I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.”

Breault earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Tufts University and returned to Bridgewater in 2018 to teach. He’s a professional interdisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in photography but includes other media. Breault is also exhibitions director for the Cambridge nonprofit Gallery 263.

He models his teaching after his experience in Professor Mary Dondero’s 91��Ƶ classes. Like Dondero, he helps students become self-guided learners who are not dependent on someone else to tell them the answer.

“My goal is for students to be independent problem solvers navigating their ideas and experiments,” he said. “Failure is part of the learning curve. It’s okay to make something that’s not your favorite piece of artwork, but you can learn from that.”

As a Bridgewater student, Breault also found solace through community service activities as part of the alternative break program.

“Just by helping other people ... you’re more proactive in your grief,” Breault said. “That was a major outlet to feel like I’m doing something.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

(At 91��Ƶ,) I took photography as an elective and I realized I was spending more time on that class than the others. I haven’t looked back since.

Doug Breault, ’12

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Faculty Focus

Alumni Profile

Arts

Photo by Kristen Mallen

AI on Display

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:37:48 +0000

AI on Display BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 08/27/2024 - 09:37

Math professor and students seek to show artier side of emerging technology

August 29, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

Blending artificial intelligence and art may raise questions at first glance. But a group of 91��Ƶ scientists and mathematicians is showing how the two disciplines can work well together.

With a key assist from AI, about 20 students, faculty and staff in the Bartlett College of Science and Mathematics recently created a painting highlighting many facets of their disciplines.

“This was an opportunity for me to show people how we can embrace this technology just like we have embraced any other emergent technology,” said Dr. Vignon Oussa, a math professor and organizer of the painting project.

To create the image, the group solicited words and phrases that represented the college and 91��Ƶ. Participants then used artificial intelligence to create several designs based on those words.

They decided to paint an AI-generated image depicting staircases shaped like DNA, as well as rocks, geometric shapes, chemical fumes, and other features that highlight college programs.

“This was an amazing opportunity for me as an artist to get a group of people, especially scientifically oriented minds, to work on something that you usually don’t expect this group to have an interest in,” said Oussa, who has long had a passion for art and used those skills to blend individual painters’ work seamlessly together. “It was a powerful experience.”

Lauren De Morais, ’27, appreciated the opportunity to build connections with her peers and professors as they painted.

“For me, it was awesome because I met so many new people,” said Lauren, who is majoring in math and secondary education. “We are all different majors and come from different backgrounds, so it’s good to have a place to connect with each other.”

The painting now hangs in the atrium of the Dana-Mohler Faria Science and Mathematics Center, where participants hope it highlights a responsible, positive use of AI.

It also represents the diversity of the college through a single work of art, said painter Judi Morin, administrative assistant for the Department of Mathematics.

“It brings a lot of things together,” she said, “and we’re all part of one big universe.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

This was an opportunity for me to show people how we can embrace this technology just like we have embraced any other emergent technology.

Dr. Vignon Oussa

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Arts

Colorful Message

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:47:48 +0000

Colorful Message BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 07/24/2024 - 11:47

Alumnus-artist paints campus mural celebrating community

July 25, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

Turned off by the rigidity of his high school art classes, Mark Carvalho, ’01, almost abandoned his interest in visual arts. But a Bridgewater State painting class helped him rediscover that passion – and his future career.

The course, taught by Dr. Stephen Smalley, was inspirational. Rather than being overbearing with requirements, Smalley guided students in bringing out their individual creativity.

“He taught in a very open and free way,” recalled Carvalho, who was pursuing a degree in aviation but switched to fine arts. “It was really refreshing and sparked something in me.”

Today, Carvalho is an art educator himself and a street artist going by the name Boston Maki. He recently returned to his alma mater to paint a mural through an initiative organized by 91��Ƶ’s Spirit Committee.

The 30-by-7-foot work, located between the bookstore and Dunkin’ inside East Campus Commons, features three bear faces that pay homage to 91��Ƶ’s mascot. Carvalho spent 30 hours on campus creating the mural. After installing a black primer coat, he applied spray paint using a stencil to create intricate details of each bear’s face.

The three bears are unique in color and composition, something Carvalho said is meant to symbolize the diversity of the 91��Ƶ community. He hopes the thousands of students who walk by his creation draw their own meaning.

“I designed it so it’s not ambiguous, but maybe makes people want to tell a story when they look at it,” he said.

For Alexis Conley, ’99, G’14, the mural symbolizes how everyone – no matter their background – is a Bear.

“We really wanted this to be a unique piece of art,” said Conley, who co-chairs the Spirit Committee and is assistant director of alumni relations. “I thought it was such a fantastic way to showcase one of our own alumni.”

Carvalho’s street art has taken him to Miami, New York City and Costa Rica. He predominately paints in New Bedford, where he helped city officials appreciate the vibrancy street art brings to otherwise mundane things such as vacant buildings and electrical boxes.

He also teaches at Whaling City Alternative Junior/Senior High School, a New Bedford school serving at-risk students. As he works with students who struggled in traditional schools, Carvalho thinks back to lessons learned at Bridgewater.

“Coming into this job, I took the approach Dr. Smalley took: ‘I’m going to foster your creativity,’” he said, noting his students are a lot like himself. “They thrive in a different environment. I’ve got some kids creating great artwork that wouldn’t have participated before.”

Carvalho is excited to see so much public art at 91��Ƶ, including bear statues and a tunnel mural painted by students and alumni.

“It’s amazing,” he said of showcasing the creativity of members of the Bridgewater community. “You’re building a sense of school pride. You’re showing students that these things can be done.”

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I designed it so it’s not ambiguous, but maybe makes people want to tell a story when they look at it.

Mark Carvalho, ’01

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Alumni Profile

Arts

Art Speaks

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:48:07 +0000

Art Speaks BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 12/14/2023 - 15:48

Graduate students showcase their work and experiences in exhibition

December 19, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

Megan Kenealy’s and Ari Barrett’s graduate school theses explore topics close to their hearts. And the two art students are spreading messages of hope and love far beyond the confines of campus.

Megan and Ari, who are completing master’s degrees in teaching art at Bridgewater State, are exhibiting their artwork at The Ignition Space in downtown Fall River. Ari’s work focuses on climate change, while Megan’s concerns the realities of being a surrogate.

“I love the fact that not only are we showing our work to the Bridgewater community, but anyone who walks in off the street,” said Megan, who teaches at Abington High School and earned her undergraduate art degree from Bridgewater in 2006. “It’s providing that connection between Fall River and 91��Ƶ.”

For the Nurture/Nature exhibit, Ari highlighted the American bullfrog, a species that scientists think can thrive amid climate change. Meanwhile, Megan takes visitors on her personal journey as a surrogate by weaving together artifacts and more traditional artwork.

“This enriches the art and culture in Fall River,” said Cate Becker, site assistant for the Fall River Arts and Culture Coalition, which runs The Ignition Space. “Also, it’s amazing to let people see the eclectic exhibit that this is. This show is so unique.”

Megan, who served as a surrogate for a family member who is in a same-sex relationship, incorporated hair and medical documents alongside art made with graphite and frozen breast milk.

“I hope (visitors) realize there’s a lot of different types of family,” Megan said. “I hope they can see the love that this journey was for all of us. I hope they see the hard work that goes into it and the relationship between all of us.”

Studying at 91��Ƶ and working on the thesis helped her embrace the use of unconventional materials in her art. Now Megan said she is more confident encouraging Abington students to use their creativity in class and long after they graduate.

Ari, who teaches at King Philip Regional Middle School in Norfolk and once considered becoming a wildlife biologist, made a series of ceramic sculptures of frogs in aquatic, desert and swampy environments to show that life will continue even in the face of climate change. She aims to inspire those who feel it is too late to save Earth.

“I just get so overwhelmed thinking about all the negative outcomes for my future children and grandchildren,” she said, wondering whether they will share the Earth with elephants, polar bears and other animals she loved as a kid. “I’m hoping people think it isn’t all doom and gloom.”

Megan and Ari discussed their thesis work with their students, some of whom may even visit the exhibition.

The two educators met in a ceramics class at 91��Ƶ and went on to take every course they could together.

“Meagan has taught me so much,” Ari said. “It’s been such a happy coincidence getting to know her.”

Nurture/Nature will be on display through Jan. 6 at The Ignition Space, 341 S. Main St., Fall River.

Do you have a 91��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I love the fact that not only are we showing our work to the Bridgewater community, but anyone who walks in off the street. It’s providing that connection between Fall River and 91��Ƶ.

Megan Kenealy, '06, G'24

Tags

Graduate Studies

Arts