Arts & Culture
Art education is inspiring the next generation of Central Pennsylvania-trained talent
Sponsored by Tom and Gina Russo
There are many reasons why a creative community flourishes. Perhaps at the forefront of them all are passionate educators—teachers who inspire artistic transformation and direct budding artists to greatness.
For decades, established higher education institutions like Millersville University and Pennsylvania College of Art & Design have instilled both skill and passion in students finding their voice in Lancaster, while other educational programs have given artists of all disciplines a place to discover more of who they are.
One of these unique opportunities is The Mount Gretna School of Art in nearby Lebanon County. MGSoA is the brainchild of Lancaster-based artist Jay Noble who established the summer art school retreat amongst the cabins and wooded forests of Mount Gretna more than 10 years ago.
“The history of great teachers has inspired those who now teach, with increasing effectiveness in delivering artists with a point of view and a point to make through their art.“
Thomas A. Russo
An established fixture in the area’s artist community, Jay maintains a deep connection with colleagues who share his vision for developing young artists, hosting renowned guest lecturers and inviting resident artists of the programs to capture the world around them en plein air. The combined force of these creative educators has spurred national buzz for art in Lancaster and its surrounding regions, as instructors across artistic institutions lean on each other to nurture the next generation of Central Pennsylvania-trained artists to make their mark on the world.
In this special feature, you will meet Jay as well as his colleagues: Dorothy Frey, Assistant Professor in Painting at Millersville University, and Aaron Thompson, Assistant Professor of Fine Art at PCA&D, who have all selected rising talents they have taught over the years.
Q&A with Jay Noble
Executive Director of The Mount Gretna School of Art
What drew you to the arts?
As a young person, I was thirsty for a challenge that would stretch my abilities and loved the way paint, charcoal, and clay were so hands-on, leading me to see and feel more deeply every day. The artists I admired only got better as they aged. I wanted that for myself and to live this sensory enhanced life as an artist—marveling in the phenomenon of beauty, the grit of life, and the promise of lifelong growth in art.
What is your artistic speciality?
I love the act of seeing as much as the act of painting and drawing. The idea that one’s perception can be shaped as much as an artwork is moving to me. Some of my work is a form of visual high calculus extending from late cubism, while other pieces appeal on a level anyone can enjoy—a simple painting of a flower or a tree in a landscape space. I seek complex, slow visual experiences in my work, regardless of the outcome.
What makes MGSoA such a special place for arts education?
On the surface, MGSoA may seem like a humble plein air painting program. However, the curriculum has an explosive impact that reaches deep into what it means to be a painter. We regularly hear from students that it was “life-changing”—the perfect blend of fellowship and rigor. The program is made even more special by our scholarship system, which motivates prospective college to graduate-level students of all income levels to apply.
Rising Talent from The Mount Gretna School of Art
Find more information about MGSoA at mgsoa.org.
Q&A with Aaron Thompson
Assistant Professor of Fine Art at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
What drew you to the arts?
I was raised by a single mother who made crafts for the City Market where I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. I remember wading into the ocean as far as we could to gather sand dollars, bleaching them, and painting them together at night so she could sell them later. Making art and being a part of nature was integral in my childhood. That really inspired me to explore art at the Savannah College of Art & Design, where I decided to focus on painting. I then continued my education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia before starting my career as an Assistant Professor. Teaching is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I learn so much from my students. My personal work has gotten better because of teaching.
How does PCA&D foster learning in student artists?
We really cultivate an environment where the student’s voice and the work they are making is empowered. Because of that, you will see a lot of diversity of work because everyone’s voice is very different. At our annual exhibition, you will see the full gamut, and that is something we really care about here.
What excites you about the Lancaster art scene?
Along with MGSoA, PCA&D, and Millersville, there are other important institutions here like the Demuth Museum and the Lancaster Museum to of Art. There are also new endeavors opening up like ESOarts and Lancaster Art Vault, which is exciting to see.
Rising Talent from PCA&D
@aubrey_m._
@iamkelbo
Find out more about Fine Art at PCA&D at pcad.edu.
Q&A with Dorothy Frey
Assistant Professor in Painting at Millersville University
What drew you to the arts?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Lancaster County, where I would watch my older sisters draw. As soon as I could hold a paintbrush, I began painting what I saw around me—sky, flowers, trees. There never seemed to be enough paper in the house for me. I came to Millersville to study painting, eventually getting my MFA at American University in Washington D.C. I was a Teaching Assistant there and discovered instructing came naturally to me. I enjoyed talking to people about their work, giving them suggestions or ideas to grow.
What excites you about the Lancaster art scene?
Lancaster is special because you have a mixture of rural and urban areas, and you have people who really care about art. It is supportive here for artists like myself and also welcoming for young artists to show their work around the community. I think that is why many of my students are staying.
What legacy would you like to leave as an educator?
I studied with Robert Andriulli at Millersville, and he was the mentor I went to at every step of my career. When he retired in 2017, I was hired for the painting position in the fine arts department at Millersville. As an alum and now professor here at Millersville, it is a wonderful, inclusive environment that invests in its students.
Now I get to see many of my students going into arts education, and they will ask me for details on an assignment that impacted them. It is almost like passing down family traditions because I am taking lessons from Professor Andriulli, and they are being shared in schools around the area. I love that idea.
Rising Talent from Millersville University
@_pastina
@highly.unintentional
@shhhhhum
@t_visionary
To find out more about Millersville University’s Department of Art and Design, visit millersville.edu/art.
This special feature is sponsored by Tom and Gina Russo. Tom, a Partner at Gardner Russo & Quinn LLC, along with his wife Gina, are longtime supporters of the arts, dear friends to Jay, and advocates for the continued recognition of Lancaster as a community where artists can thrive.
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