The concept for this exhibition was developed and carried out collectively by nine students in an exhibition seminar led by Professor Carrie Robbins with research support from Chau Nguyen. We began our process by studying John Sloan’s prints in Bryn Mawr’s Special Collections. Through individual research and group discussion, we developed an understanding of Sloan and the larger context in which he worked. With this knowledge, we identified certain recurring themes in our collection of Sloan prints.
We were struck by the dramatic contrast between light and shadow in his etchings. Sloan employed this technique as a means of conveying his own ideas about his surroundings, shedding light on subjects he deemed significant. Responding to Sloan’s formal cues, we grouped prints according to their similarities in subject and artistic strategy. We sought to expand the breadth of the exhibition with programs and various media platforms.
With Illuminating John Sloan, we hope to illuminate the artist himself and give you access to his world as he understood it.
Alex Adams ’15 is a History of Art major at Bryn Mawr. She is involved in the BMC Dance Department and serves as an intern for a museum in Philadelphia. After graduating, she hopes to continue exploring the museum field, and wants to build on the invaluable curatorial experience she gained from this project.
Maya Berrol-Young ’17 is an independent major in Propaganda and Political Aesthetics at Bryn Mawr. She worked at a museum in New York last summer and hopes to continue exploring curatorial studies.
Caroline Cassidy ’16 is a History of Art major at Bryn Mawr, where she is involved in a cappella and theater. She worked in a museum in Texas for the past two summers and is very excited to expand her curatorial skills through this project.
Lili Hutchison ’15 is a Haverford student majoring in History of Art at Bryn Mawr. She enjoys visiting exhibitions at museums and has appreciated the opportunity to turn the tables and co-curate this exhibition.
Xinyi Ren ’17 is a Bryn Mawr student majoring in Fine Arts at Haverford. She is interested in curatorial studies and has enjoyed learning more about art and exhibitions in creating this show.
Sarah Wolberg ’15 is a French major and History of Art minor at Haverford College. After graduation, she will be working in the publications department of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.
Pia Wong ’17 is a History of Art major at Bryn Mawr and hopes to work in a museum or gallery. As she is particularly interested in curatorial studies, Pia is very excited to help illuminate John Sloan.
Yue Xiu ’17 is a History of Art major at Bryn Mawr. She enjoys visiting museums and this is her first time curating an exhibition.
Qianni Zhu is an MA candidate in History of Art at Bryn Mawr who has interned at museums and galleries. She is really excited to co-curate this exhibition and hopes that it will shed light on the college’s collection of Sloan’s prints.
Carrie Robbins PhD ’13 is Lecturer in the Department of History of Art at Bryn Mawr College. She has developed this exhibition seminar to share her enthusiasm for curating from the Art and Artifact Collections with current undergraduate students. Previously, she organized the following exhibitions from the collections: A Curious Group: A Cabinet of Curiosities in Celebration of 10 Years of the Graduate Group in Archaeology, Classics, and History of Art at Bryn Mawr College (2014) and Double Take: Selected Views from the Photography Collection at Bryn Mawr College, 1860s-present (2011). She is currently teaching courses in European and American Art and Theory since the 17th century, History of Photography, and Museum Studies.