COLORA, MARYLAND – West Nottingham Academy is thrilled to announce the first of our three Gallery Openings this academic year for the Eric Fischl ’66 Artist-in-Residence Teaching Program. Each trimester, a visiting graduate of the New York Academy of Art lives and works on campus, teaching classes and working on their own pieces to exhibit.
The Fall 2019-20 Artist-in-Residence is Jess Leo, a Brooklyn-based artist with a deep fascination for drawing. Receiving her MFA in drawing with a concentration in printmaking from the New York Academy of Art (2015) she creates large-scale drawings utilizing simple geometric forms. Her work is drawn using only pencils to build up layers of painterly marks. The work is influenced by her notions and experiences of domestic objects within a set place. Exploring themes of loss, trauma, and isolation she arranges her graphite structures in a way to activate a quiet space for contemplation.
The community is invited to join West Nottingham Academy in celebrating the conclusion of Leo’s residency with “Repercussions”, Leo’s gallery opening. “Repercussions” will be on display in Gates Gallery in the Finley-Bathon Hall, October 24 through November 13, 2019, with the gallery opening reception held Thursday, October 24, 2019, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Prior to arriving at West Nottingham, Leo has traveled for several artist residencies, including the studio residency at Mass MoCa Museum in North Adams and the School of Design (Parsons Affiliate) in Altos de Chavon. Leo also teaches at the college level both in the New York City and her home state of New Jersey. In 2016, she won an Emerging Artist Award for her work in a Cross-Cultural Exhibition in New York. Her work has been exhibited in-group shows along the east coast and she has taught internationally.
Trish Kuhlman, visual art chair, is excited about the progression of the Artist-in-Residence Program and West Nottingham’s ability to bring such skilled and versatile instructors to campus. “We are all looking forward to continuing the program with such a promising group of artists,” Kuhlman said. “It promises to be a robust program once again this year, and Jess Leo has been a phenomenal addition to our campus community and visual art department. We are so excited for her gallery opening this week.”
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West Nottingham Academy is a diverse, student-centered day and boarding school for students in 9th through 12th grade and post-graduate. Since its founding in 1744, West Nottingham has prepared students for the challenges of college and life through a curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, and a commitment to the intellectual, spiritual, and social growth of each student. For more information on West Nottingham Academy, visit www.WNA.org.