Outstanding Graduates Art
2021
Sharon Ko
Sharon Ko '21 brings a deep sense of empathy to her art practice, creating space for others to share their stories and see those stories aesthetically filtered through her creations in a way that honors the participant. Her work embodies care, sensitivity, and empowerment which in turn is a natural reflection of who Sharon is as a person and friend. In the classroom, she is an incisive reader and persuasive writer. Even better, Sharon is the kind of person who can move a conversation forward, because listening well is the foundation for speaking well. She brings her whole self, full of integrity and strength, to whatever she does, in the classroom, the studio, and beyond.
2020
Jordan Marshall
Jordan Marshall’s ('20) work reflects her character as an artist and thinker: thorough, patient, meticulous, and uncompromising. A gifted painter, Jordan conjures windows into realistic worlds with her brush, with an eye towards representational fidelity. A gifted writer, her written work is equally attentive to the texts and ideas she's engaging. A common theme among our Outstanding Senior award recipients is that they are the ones who show up prepared and ready to work, and Jordan is no exception: her exceptional work is partly the result of her commitment to excellence and partly the result of consistent, disciplined hours logged in the studio. Jordan has stated her intention to pursue art as a vocation, and we look forward to seeing the paintings that are still yet to come.
2019
Madeleine Kilpatrick
Madeleine Kilpatrick '19 was introduced to printmaking her first year at Westmont by professor Meagan Stirling. “From there it was full steam ahead!” Kilpatrick says. “I love that printmaking is all about layers, and about creating graphic imagery.”
She describes her printmaking style as non-traditional, working in the moment and unregistered instead of focusing on perfection.
“Madeleine embodies this discipline with a joyful sense of purpose and ambition,” says Lisa DeBoer, chair of the art department. “She understands that artists go to the studio not when we are inspired, but in order to become inspired. She is engaged, driven, and hungry to learn more, to continually add to her repertoire of techniques.”
Kilpatrick, who graduates with bachelor’s degrees in art and communication studies, will spend a month abroad on Westmont’s Borders, Boundaries, and Brexits: Jerusalem to Belfast mayterm course. She hopes to spend a few years working in a studio and building her portfolio in Nashville, Tennessee, pursuing an MFA in Printmaking.
“I hope to teach, as well as maintain a robust studio practice and continue sharing my art with my community,” she says.
2018
Janna Jensen
Janna Jensen '18, a distance runner for the women’s cross country and track and field team, earned the award in art. She enjoyed a three-year internship at Slingshot, a cooperative of artists with developmental disabilities. For her senior art project, she painted classical oil portraits of five of the artists who have inspired her. “Through these relationships that I’ve had with these individuals and through the way I was inspired by their art, I wanted to honor them in creating portraits of them,” Jensen says. The Long Beach resident will continue to paint while exploring opportunities in the art world. She is considering graduate school in art therapy.
2017
Jenna Haring
Jenna Haring '17 possesses the strongest natural draftsmanship we’ve ever seen among our students. She’s also a very strong writer with a distinctive voice, and a thorough researcher. Jenna is sharp, disciplined, and committed, and she exhibits a wonderful sense of curiosity which is a gift to her professors and to her fellow students. Jenna does not do anything halfway. She digs in, and digs deep to pursue questions for their own sake. As a worker in the Art Department and the museum, no task is too small or too big for her. Her cheerful attitude and calm, composed demeanor insure that she is a valued and respected student colleague.
2016
Aria Hamann
The Art Department has been truly impressed by Aria Hamann’s ('16) sense of discipline, compassionate social engagement, and strength of personal character. Aria’s personal warmth and sincere interest in the well being of others has been a gift to our community. She regularly facilitates discussion groups, is a natural leader in class conversations, and has a rich ability to articulate complex ideas and make connections between multiple spheres of knowledge. Many of Aria’s interests in art are derived from the desire to enrich viewers’ experiences in daily life, and she contemplates how to use art to change perspectives, offer new visions and make meaningful connections to viewers. Considering her strong work ethic is coupled with a deep generosity towards others, Aria has been a gift to this senior class and the department as a whole.
2015
Morgan Holman
Morgan Holman’s ('15) production in the art department is driven by her inquisitive art practice. Throughout her studies, she has created freely through multiple art media while guided by consistent themes of living intentionally, cultivating the land, and transformative spiritual journeys. One of the hardest workers in this year’s class, she is internally motivated and can often be found working long hours in the printmaking studio. A kinesthetic maker, her woodcut prints reveal the labor invested in carving out delicate details to portray expansive landscapes.
Morgan’s leadership in her class is characterized by a quiet strength and unflappable grace; she maintains an interpersonal generosity towards her peers and strangers alike. The department has been encouraged through her personal warmth, communal hospitality, and her diligent and insightful contributions to our collective conversations.