Walking through Seaverns Hall, you may notice the large prints that line the walls of each hallway, and although we walk by them every day, few of us actually take the time to really look at and appreciate the artwork of the Warren Baird English Symposium.
“They are artistic commemorations of many, but not all, Symposium authors that have come to campus,” said English teacher Ron Monroe. The Symposium, founded in 1983 by Warren Baird, former chair of the English department, is a large piece of KO, especially since all of us read at least one piece of the visiting author’s writing.
Art teacher Scott McDonald said that the Symposium is considered a big deal and program, “A lot of planning goes into it; an entire class is taught around it,” he said. The idea to create prints representing each Symposium author and their works was also from Mr. Baird in 1986, so there are prints for every Symposium but the first three.
The responsibility of the Symposium print rotates throughout the art department, so each art teacher has the opportunity to create one, often multiple times. There have also been prints made by alumni artists, such as the Gish Jen Symposium print three years ago. The artist is chosen soon after the reveal of the next year’s Symposium author, so the artist spends the summer reading the writer’s works, and begins creating them when the school year starts.
Mr. McDonald has created four Symposium prints so far, those for Nick Hornby, John Edgar Wideman, Peter Matthiessen, and most recently Elizabeth Strout. Both Hornby and Wideman’s were relief prints, a process where an image is drawn and carved into plywood, then put through a printing press, whereas Strout’s, was a graphite drawing. “Sometimes it’s a direct representation of something in one of the books,” said Mr. McDonald. “Sometimes it’s more of a creative response to how the artist was affected by something in the book or something they thought was important about it.” The drawing for the Strout print for example was made to be representative of her writing style: detailed and meticulous.
Last year’s Symposium print for Peter Heller was made by art teacher Greg Scranton, who used a process called cyanotype, where paper is coated with a chemical and left under the sun to create different images, patterns or shapes. Mr. Scranton also made the prints for Jonathan Safran Foer and Sherman Alexie.
English Department Chair Catherine Schieffelin said she likes the Symposium prints because of their effect on the KO community. “I think it’s a nice way to get the whole community or different parts of the community excited and engaged in the author’s visit,” she said.
Ms. Schieffelin was the Symposium teacher for Jonathan Safran Foer seven years ago. “I love that it’s a little souvenir that the author can take from the experience here because the authors get a lot out of coming,” she added.
Mr. McDonald is currently working on the print for the upcoming Symposium with Colson Whitehead.
Mr. Scranton said that he’s excited for this years print of Colson Whitehead by Mr. McDonald. “I can’t wait to see what Mr. McDonald comes up with. From what he’s told me it sounds very exciting,” he said.
through Seaverns Hall, you may notice the large prints that line the walls of each hallway, and although we walk by them every day, few of us actually take the time to really look at and appreciate the artwork of the Warren Baird English Symposium.
“They are artistic commemorations of many, but not all, symposium authors that have come to campus,” said English teacher Ron Monroe. The symposium, founded in 1983 by Warren Baird, former chair of the English department, is a large piece of KO, especially since all of us read at least one piece of the visiting author’s writing.
Art teacher Scott McDonald said that the symposium is considered a big deal and program, “A lot of planning goes into it, an entire class is taught around it,” he said. The idea to create prints representing each symposium author and their works was also from Mr. Baird in 1986, so there are prints for every symposium but the first three.
The responsibility of the symposium print rotates throughout the art department, so each art teacher has the opportunity to create one, often multiple times. There have also been prints made by KO alumni artists, such as the Gish Jen symposium print three years ago. The artist is chosen soon after the reveal of the next year’s symposium author, so the artist spends the summer reading the writer’s works, and begins creating them when the school year starts.
Mr. McDonald has created four symposium prints so far, those of, Nick Hornby, John Edgar Wideman, Peter Matthiessen, and most recently Elizabeth Strout. Both Hornby and Wideman’s were relief prints, a process where an image is drawn and carved into plywood, then put through a printing press, whereas Strout’s, was a graphite drawing. “Sometimes it’s a direct representation of something in one of the books,” said Mr. McDonald. “Sometimes it’s more of a creative response to how the artist was affected by something in the book or something they thought was important about it.” The drawing for the Strout print for example was made to be representative of her writing style: detailed and meticulous.
Last year’s symposium print, that of Peter Heller, was made by art teacher Greg Scranton, who used a process called cyanotype, where paper is coated with a chemical and left under the sun to create different images, patterns or shapes. Mr. Scranton also made the prints for Jonathan Safran Foer and Sherman Alexie.
English Department Head Catherine Schieffelin said she likes the symposium prints because of their effect on the KO community. “I think it’s a nice way to get the whole community or different parts of the community excited and engaged in the author’s visit,” she said. Ms. Schieffelin was the symposium teacher for Jonathan Safran Foer seven years ago. “I love that it’s a little souvenir that the author can take from the experience here because the authors get a lot out of coming,” she added.
Mr. McDonald is currently working on the print for the upcoming symposium with Colson Whitehead. Mr. Scranton said that he’s excited for this years print of Colson Whitehead by Mr. McDonald. “I can’t wait to see what Mr. McDonald comes up with, from what he’s told me it sounds very exciting,” he said.
through Seaverns Hall, you may notice the large prints that line the walls of each hallway, and although we walk by them every day, few of us actually take the time to really look at and appreciate the artwork of the Warren Baird English Symposium.
“They are artistic commemorations of many, but not all, symposium authors that have come to campus,” said English teacher Ron Monroe. The symposium, founded in 1983 by Warren Baird, former chair of the English department, is a large piece of KO, especially since all of us read at least one piece of the visiting author’s writing.
Art teacher Scott McDonald said that the symposium is considered a big deal and program, “A lot of planning goes into it, an entire class is taught around it,” he said. The idea to create prints representing each symposium author and their works was also from Mr. Baird in 1986, so there are prints for every symposium but the first three.
The responsibility of the symposium print rotates throughout the art department, so each art teacher has the opportunity to create one, often multiple times. There have also been prints made by KO alumni artists, such as the Gish Jen symposium print three years ago. The artist is chosen soon after the reveal of the next year’s symposium author, so the artist spends the summer reading the writer’s works, and begins creating them when the school year starts.
Mr. McDonald has created four symposium prints so far, those of, Nick Hornby, John Edgar Wideman, Peter Matthiessen, and most recently Elizabeth Strout. Both Hornby and Wideman’s were relief prints, a process where an image is drawn and carved into plywood, then put through a printing press, whereas Strout’s, was a graphite drawing. “Sometimes it’s a direct representation of something in one of the books,” said Mr. McDonald. “Sometimes it’s more of a creative response to how the artist was affected by something in the book or something they thought was important about it.” The drawing for the Strout print for example was made to be representative of her writing style: detailed and meticulous.
Last year’s symposium print, that of Peter Heller, was made by art teacher Greg Scranton, who used a process called cyanotype, where paper is coated with a chemical and left under the sun to create different images, patterns or shapes. Mr. Scranton also made the prints for Jonathan Safran Foer and Sherman Alexie.
English Department Head Catherine Schieffelin said she likes the symposium prints because of their effect on the KO community. “I think it’s a nice way to get the whole community or different parts of the community excited and engaged in the author’s visit,” she said. Ms. Schieffelin was the symposium teacher for Jonathan Safran Foer seven years ago. “I love that it’s a little souvenir that the author can take from the experience here because the authors get a lot out of coming,” she added.
Mr. McDonald is currently working on the print for the upcoming symposium with Colson Whitehead. Mr. Scranton said that he’s excited for this years print of Colson Whitehead by Mr. McDonald. “I can’t wait to see what Mr. McDonald comes up with, from what he’s told me it sounds very exciting,” he said.
through Seaverns Hall, you may notice the large prints that line the walls of each hallway, and although we walk by them every day, few of us actually take the time to really look at and appreciate the artwork of the Warren Baird English Symposium.
“They are artistic commemorations of many, but not all, symposium authors that have come to campus,” said English teacher Ron Monroe. The symposium, founded in 1983 by Warren Baird, former chair of the English department, is a large piece of KO, especially since all of us read at least one piece of the visiting author’s writing.
Art teacher Scott McDonald said that the symposium is considered a big deal and program, “A lot of planning goes into it, an entire class is taught around it,” he said. The idea to create prints representing each symposium author and their works was also from Mr. Baird in 1986, so there are prints for every symposium but the first three.
The responsibility of the symposium print rotates throughout the art department, so each art teacher has the opportunity to create one, often multiple times. There have also been prints made by KO alumni artists, such as the Gish Jen symposium print three years ago. The artist is chosen soon after the reveal of the next year’s symposium author, so the artist spends the summer reading the writer’s works, and begins creating them when the school year starts.
Mr. McDonald has created four symposium prints so far, those of, Nick Hornby, John Edgar Wideman, Peter Matthiessen, and most recently Elizabeth Strout. Both Hornby and Wideman’s were relief prints, a process where an image is drawn and carved into plywood, then put through a printing press, whereas Strout’s, was a graphite drawing. “Sometimes it’s a direct representation of something in one of the books,” said Mr. McDonald. “Sometimes it’s more of a creative response to how the artist was affected by something in the book or something they thought was important about it.” The drawing for the Strout print for example was made to be representative of her writing style: detailed and meticulous.
Last year’s symposium print, that of Peter Heller, was made by art teacher Greg Scranton, who used a process called cyanotype, where paper is coated with a chemical and left under the sun to create different images, patterns or shapes. Mr. Scranton also made the prints for Jonathan Safran Foer and Sherman Alexie.
English Department Head Catherine Schieffelin said she likes the symposium prints because of their effect on the KO community. “I think it’s a nice way to get the whole community or different parts of the community excited and engaged in the author’s visit,” she said. Ms. Schieffelin was the symposium teacher for Jonathan Safran Foer seven years ago. “I love that it’s a little souvenir that the author can take from the experience here because the authors get a lot out of coming,” she added.
Mr. McDonald is currently working on the print for the upcoming symposium with Colson Whitehead. Mr. Scranton said that he’s excited for this years print of Colson Whitehead by Mr. McDonald. “I can’t wait to see what Mr. McDonald comes up with, from what he’s told me it sounds very exciting,” he said.
