The art gallery in Hege Library usually exhibits the work of professional artists, but the current show displays the work of artists closer to home: Guilford’s own art faculty. The faculty art show is part of the Year of Spirit and Spirituality. In different ways, every piece of art in the exhibit relates to this theme.

On April 13, the seven artists sat as a panel and discussed how their work related to the theme of spirit and spirituality. They also talked how being an artist reconnects with their teaching. At the end of the discussion, they answered questions from the audience.

Maia Dery, Lecturer in Art, is presenting black-and-white photography. Her

exhibit consists of seven photographs of the beach. “The material world is enough and it is replete with meaning, and one of the reasons I make photographs is, in essence, to appreciate the meaning of the material,” Dery said about how her work relates to sprit and spirituality. “The shots of waves and seaweed are of things above anyone’s control.”

“Part of my job, as a teacher, is to focus on the student,” Dery said. “Often times the students do not realize the struggle the professors go through with their work. The show allows the students to view their teachers differently and broaden artistic conversation.”

David Newton, Assistant Professor of Art, is presenting a series of sculptures. He welded many different things from boxes containing yarn or balls to an apparatus that supports a huge plush lizard.

“I feel my work shows that an unexplored life is not worth living,” Newton said. “If you are not a practicing artist, you can not be an authority to speak to a class. I feel as though it inspires a student when they observe actual artists teaching them.”

Roy Nydorf, Professor of Art, has multiple woodcarvings in the art show. These carvings include masks, animals and human figures.

“The concept of spirituality is connected to nature and creation,” Nydorf said. “Working with wood becomes a direct connection to creation. My work is stylistically connected to ancient artwork which makes it timeless.”

“It is crucial for students to see how passionate their professors are to creating art,” Nydorf continued. “We are proving to our students that we can walk the talk.”

Adele Wayman, Hege Professor of Art and Division Director, is a painter who is showing pictures of the life cycle of flowers over multiple altars in the art show. “I feel art is meditational,” she said. “I took the meditational feel of flowers and painted them because it gives a feel of impertinence, because things always change.”

Assistant Professor of Art Todd Drake has massive abstract paintings, Charles Tefft has ceramics, and Assistant Professor of Art Heea Crownfield has a collection of paintings and other forms of art.

“The art show is very powerful,” said first-year Anna Schaffer. “My favorite piece is ‘Internal space’ by Heea Crownfield because of the use of different mediums, creation of different textures, and the abstract features in the piece.