Art and artists live in the Olin Arts Center.
鈥淚 love coming here, just to escape the craziness of campus,鈥� says Celia Feal-Staub ’20 of Putney, Vt. 鈥淚鈥檝e never taken a drawing class before, and I鈥檝e pretty much exclusively only taken pottery classes in the past. So, I鈥檓 really excited to build up a more general tool box, if you will, of art skills.鈥�
Known in the community as a place of creation and presentation, Olin has been celebrating the arts and nurturing young artists since its dedication in 1986.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to take ceramics,鈥� says politics major Adam Webman ’18 of Winter Park, Fla. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work and it is hard but it鈥檚 fun to be able to actually make something as opposed to going to the library and writing a paper. Coming here is a stress reliever, sort of just a mental break.鈥�
Andrew Jordan '21 of New Haven, Conn., is seen playing piano in a practice studio in the Olin Arts Center. "I am writing a minimalist solo piano 茅tude based on the works of people like John Adams," says Jordan. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Seen from outside the ceramics studio through a window, Webman gestures while contemplating his evenings work. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Adam Webman '18 of Winter Park, Fla., paints a ceramic sphere with terra sigillata while working in the ceramics studio in the Olin Arts Center. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Using one hand to steady a ceramic sphere, Webman begins apply a generous coat of terra sigillata to the surface. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Jordan records a short musical composition he just played on piano on to sheet music. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
鈥淕etting to see the other work that students have done, it makes you want to get better at it,鈥� says Katie DeSantis ’20 of New Canaan, Conn.
DeSantis is taking pre-veterinary classes in addition to art classes. 鈥淚 took this class because I want to get better at decorating the surface of my ceramic pieces. Right now, I can鈥檛 draw at all and so by developing this skill I think it will help to be able to add patterns and different designs and decorations on to my pottery which I would really like to explore.鈥�
“That鈥檚 how anything good starts.鈥�
鈥淚 come here every day,鈥� says Andrew Jordan ’21 of New Haven, Conn., a music major focusing on composition, 鈥淚 want every piece I write to be better than the last piece I wrote, and just show constant improvement.鈥�
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important for every musician to have a place to go and get their ideas done, or just to practice and get better, and not actually just for musicians. That鈥檚 how anything good starts.鈥�
