The Artists of Arcadia

September 28, 2026

A few days before embarking on their backpacking trip, the Arcadians spent three hours assembling environmental sculptures as part of their English course, Writing the Adirondacks, taught by Professor Mark Sturges. This assignment invites students to adopt the style and methodology of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy and create visually appealing and philosophically meaningful sculptures, the design of which grows organically from the landscape of Massawepie and the outdoor experience of the semester. Many Arcadians constructed their sculptures as reflections on human-nature relationships and found meaningful life lessons in their efforts to interpret their own creations. Later in the semester, students will include photographs of these sculptures in the small poetry magazine that we assemble as part of the same course, but you can find a gallery tour of the sculptures attached to this web feature as well. Those Arcadians are a creative crew, that’s for sure!