Pema Namdol ‘27
Dec 13, 2024
On December 8, 2024, the Burgin Center for the Arts hosted another installment of “Sips and Nibbles” to showcase a variety of student art in different mediums. The feature works included pieces from every student in each fall visual arts class. Sydney Caretti, Mercersburg’s Director of Galleries, said, “These are our artists, our artists that we live with, we work with, we play with, and we eat with!” She explained that it is important to highlight artists within our community to make sure they have a place to showcase their work.
Some students featured were Abby Kendall ‘25 and Kaodi Nzeribe ‘28 who showcased their photography. Their photos left Yule Kwon '26, one of Mercersburg’s noted student photographers, impressed by the quality of the work. “These two pieces capture something that I can’t capture. The shadows are so soft which is very hard to do and it brings the image to another level,” he said. He mentioned the difficulty of taking outdoor photos, commending Kendall’s technique.
Among the many stunning pieces was a painting by Jiwon Chung ’28. The painting depicted a scene from her middle school prom, a watershed moment in her life. "I had been at that school for eight years so my last few days were very meaningful to me," Chung explained. Her piece used vibrant colors to convey emotion, reflecting the ways that art and memory are intricately intertwined. “Art can tell you a narrative without actually speaking,” said Philipp Hoyer ‘26. His piece featured a house behind the Burgin Center for the Arts. “What's so interesting about photography is being able to capture the small details we walk across every day that we aren’t conscious of,” he added. Both Chung’s and Hoyer’s pieces conveyed personal stories and invited viewers to shift their perspectives on their environment.
Sips and Nibbles brought many students to view their peers' work. Bauhinia Chen ‘26 commented on Carrie Yang ‘27’s drawing: “I really liked how she was so skillful in her shading, her technique, and her rendering,” Chen commented.
The exhibit served to display the talents of students within the Mercersburg community. Caretti said, “Hopefully this will serve to inspire other student artists because we are all artists.” She noted the upcoming Nancy Horton Heefner Exhibit, which will bring together the work of student artists, academy children, and Mercersburg community members.