SDSU’s art department opened its doors this fall semester to new creativity when artist Anna Schenker came to campus as part of the School of Design’s Stuart artist-in-residence program.
This program ran Sept. 2-26, and Schenker worked with students and Brookings community members through studio hours, an exhibition of her work and presentations.
The program brings professional artists from across the country, and even the world to SDSU and gives students some exposure to creative ways and new ideas that they don’t usually experience.
“This program is really about giving our students broader exposure,” said professor Peter Reichardt. “Bringing in artists from outside the region exposes them to new methods, new processes and new ways of seeing their own work. That’s invaluable.”
Schenker, who just completed her master of fine arts degree at Washington University in St. Louis, is originally from Vermont. She has built a career by focusing on drawing, psychology and sculptures. She started her practice by looking and responding to her environment, then using large rubbings and drawings that show the textures, patterns and forms that are found around her.
During the program at SDSU, Schenker used most of her time making monumental works, one specifically being a 30-foot-long drawing that she made at Bennett Farm near SDSU. She also showed more pieces like large rubbings of trees and some natural objects. This gave students and visitors a glimpse at how her world evolves on her artistic journey.
“I was really excited to have this space to focus,” Schenker said. “Residencies are about exploration, and I wanted to see how my process could connect with this environment and with the students here.”
For art students at SDSU, Schenker’s visit gave them chances to watch and communicate with a professional artist. Student Ben Simon said the residency changed the way he thought about making art.
“It was interesting to see the pieces she had made in the past, as well as listening to her talk about her artistic process,” Simon said. “I think that I could benefit from hearing an outside perspective on how someone creates art because it could give some creativity. It was unique that she did the rubbing of trees because I had never seen anything like that before.”
Throughout the program, students would often go to studio hours to watch her process and talk with her. Sometimes faculty would bring their entire classes to the studio hours. According to Reichardt, Schenker had a balance of being approachable without being overwhelmed, which made the program successful.
Schenker’s time in Brookings went beyond just the school. Her lecture walked people through her career and her philosophy about art, and many people attended. The final reception for the artist attracted not only students, but community members as well. That connected the university’s creative output to not only the school, but the city.
“This was a great success,” Reichardt said. “Anna was able to produce new work, share her process and connect with our students in meaningful ways. This is one of the best receptions we have ever had, and you could tell she left a mark.”
Programs like this one showcase its specialty by opening up doors for community members and students. For SDSU, it provides an opportunity to invite more voices and allow students to see themselves in a professional artistic scene. For the city and community, it helps bring people closer together and allows them to have more access to cultural experiences.
As the program wrapped, Schenker’s impact was discussed across the department, and students left with new perspectives by witnessing a firsthand unique role of art.
