For Brush Art Gallery Director Catherine Tedford, the
gallery is not just a repository for artwork – it’s
central to the academic mission. She explains, “All
of our rotating exhibitions and educational programs are chosen and designed to meet the needs of students and faculty. I
see the gallery's mission as similar to that of the libraries: we
use art objects in learning and teaching much like written
texts and other media resources. I'm increasingly involved with ideas surrounding ‘visual literacy’ and ‘literacies across the curriculum,’ and
I believe that utilizing art objects and images can be a valuable way of making sense of the world around us.
“I feel an incredible sense of ‘family’ at St. Lawrence, with colleagues and
students,” Tedford says. “I never expected such collegiality, support, and warmth,” she
adds; she joined the St. Lawrence staff in 1989, having earned her
MFA at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.
Tedford cites two
special aspects of her work: “That every exhibition
project is different, and that I can work with amazing artists who
are passionate about their work.” When not on the job, she enjoys
hiking, biking, snowshoeing, kayaking and “collecting STICKERS!,” which
was the theme of one recent gallery show.
