Art on Campus

Art Exhibits in the Brown Library

As part of a long tradition of opening up the College to the surrounding community, Sterling hosts an array of art  and author readings in the Brown Library, accompanied by receptions that are open to the community.  These exhibits and readings showcase a stunning array of creativity from Vermont and beyond. Cultural events like these are important to the College for the perspective and creativity they bring to the campus and our community.

Current Art Exhibit

On display in the Brown Library at Sterling College
December 7-13
Sterling Student Art Exhibit
Presenting student art of various media, including fiber art and instructor pieces.

Drawing from Nature Class

Students working with Leland Peterson’s Drawing From Nature class produce some remarkable pieces of artwork. The class focuses on creating art related to the landscape of the Black River Watershed — which encompasses Sterling College and Craftsbury.  Open to students at all levels of art experience, the class uses a combination of on-site art making, individual meetings, group critiques, and field trips to museums to facilitate the understanding and the practice of creating landscape art. Students focus on drawing with pen and ink and painting with watercolors. The group visits and captures the many picturesque areas around Craftsbury.  

Black River Sketches 1: Student Artwork by Monica Kopp

Black River Sketches 2: Student Artwork by Armone Persing

Black River Sketches 3: Student Artwork by Richard Perello

Black River Sketches 4: Student Artwork by Sarah Carson

Annual Wood Show

For the past 32 years Sterling’s Simpson Hall hosts an exhibit of Sterling student wood projects at the Annual Wood Show. A long-time Sterling tradition, the annual Wood Show provides an opportunity for the public to view projects completed by students in the “Reverence for Wood” class. Under the guidance of woodworking teacher Keren Ferrari, the “Reverence for Wood” class gives students of all woodworking abilities the skills necessary to create a final wood project of their choosing. Students create strong and unique wood work, including ornate blanket chests, benches, musical instruments, spinning wheels, and much more.

Fiber Arts Show

The 1st Annual Fiber Arts Show was launched in 2009 as the culmination of a semester’s worth of creative designs from the Fiber Arts class, taught by faculty and local fiber craftswoman Jody Stoddard. The exhibit displayed in the Dunbar Foyer included student projects created using primarily local sources of wool and plant fibers. Students showcased their knowledge of mastering the art of hand spinning, weaving, knitting, and felting. The show was a colorful explosion of the traditional and the unique and included hats, scarves, clothing, and footwear.