Watch: Student Art Provides
Dining Hall with Feast for Visual Senses

by Michael Gluk '12
9/30/11

Christie DeNizio '12 at the dedication of her work in Sharples Dining Hall.

Thanks to two large-scale paintings by studio art major Christie DeNizio '12, Sharples Dining Hall has another way to engage students' senses. Her work, dedicated this week at an event that featured cupcakes and other treats, now adorns the walls of the building's lobby.

"These paintings are my celebration of the joy and humor in life," says DeNizio, who created the pieces for a studio seminar taught by Assistant Professor of Studio Art Logan Girder. "I hope that their bright and playful nature will add to the collective dining experience of the Swarthmore community."

"The subject matter is perfect and analogous to the daily routine of Sharples," says Girder, who approached Dining Services about displaying them. "They really are beautiful and a huge accomplishment."

"It is rare to see an artist of any age succeed at something so ambitious," agrees Andrea Packard '85, director of the College's List Gallery. "They are nuanced despite their incredible scale and use a beautiful elastic language. I think they're perfect for Sharples. They really bring color and a softness to a space that needed those."

Girder hopes that exhibiting DeNizio's work in Sharples will help increase the presence of student art at the College. "It stands as a great example," he says, "of the College's commitment to the arts and to its students."