Courtesy of Nikeya Tankard ’28
Limits, boundaries, breakthroughs and transitions — the word “thresholds” holds room for wide and ranging interpretations and exploration. New London’s Hygienic Art Gallery’s latest exhibition in collaboration with Connecticut College Art and Museum Studies students by the same name, Thresholds expressed the ranging, winding concepts of breaking boundaries, liminal spaces, transitional periods through painting, photography, design and sculpture.
“Thresholds examines moments of transition and liminality, focusing on spaces between the known and unknown, past and future, and self and community.” Curatorial director, Art Department Student Advisory [SAB] board chair AJ Escalante ‘27 explains, in an official statement on behalf of the curatorial team.
Created and curated by Connecticut College’s Art SAB and Museum Studies certificate program students with the support of New London’s Hygienic Art Galleries, the exhibition comes from months of concept building, submission collection and assessment, and collective dedication from all students involved.
Opening to the public on October 10, the exhibition features a collection of multi-media work, gathered from Connecticut College students along with Alumni and MFA students from other institutions. Mediums varied, from photographic film negatives to oil paintings to wooden sculptures. In approach too, students took to the theme of Thresholds in many drastically different ways, resulting in an especially immersive and interesting experience for viewers.
Courtesy of Jax Perry, Alumni “Code Red” 60 x 48 Oil on mdf, burnt cedar frame
For Brigette Silva ‘27, her long-exposure film photographs depicting dancers with ghostly movement around the figures served as an interpretation of thresholds as something spoken through movement and the body. For Ceceilia Duffield ‘27, it was through oil paintings of figures in coming-of-age experiences surrounding nostalgia and time. A collection of prints from a Connecticut College graphic design class was also displayed in rows, looking at the connections between environments and typographic letter forms.
Art SAB Co-chair Adam Dinjian ‘27 responded to the range of work, in terms of both medium and methodology; “I find Thresholds a very interesting and unique prompt; it’s not just the physical substance and media expressed in the work that’s interesting, but also what the art and the media mean for the artists. As a prompt, it is also specifically ambiguous and broad to allow artists to implement their own meaning and intent behind their submissions.”
Art and Environmental Studies major Ceceillia Duffield ‘27 spoke to the confidence seeing her work exhibited gave her in her pursuit of artmaking as a career. “One of my pieces actually sold! So I said, ‘Okay, this is a good step forward’ in accepting myself in the art world,” she began.
“Thresholds helped me approach working with other artists, and I realized the strong passion students had toward continued artmaking [post-grad]. I realized, ‘I can actually think in that mindset as well!”
Upon opening night, the gallery and exhibition received much attention from students, faculty, New London locals and others. The event served as a community gathering, from campus to community, joined by a shared enthusiasm for art and alliance.
Escalante reflected, “The show was successful, and opening night was surreal. Seeing how many people came and were engaging with the work and artists was spectacular. Everyone showed up and put so much effort into creating Thresholds, and none of it would have been possible without them.”
Though Thresholds is now closed for its exhibition period, work can be found at thresholds.digital.conncoll.edu for online viewing.
