Packin’ Heat

(an original poem by Chandana Srinivas, student art collections assistant)

With summer gone, a fall season comes anew,

this frost brings about morning dew.

From carved pumpkins, to wreaths made of pine,

open your arms to all kin alike.

Let the gravy simmer, the turkey broil,

let your sauce fizz, and fill your hearts with joy.

This Thanksgiving, be especially grateful,

thank the stars above, for this year has been fruitful.

No amount of fun could amount

to the gathering of families all around.

It shall be a FULL-filling dinner, let us say,

for nothing could compare to Turkey Day!

May your table be filled with food,

may your time be spent laughing,

from our department to your homes,

Happy Thanksgiving!

What our department is especially thankful for this year:

Natalie Lawler – Assistant Collections Registrar and Preparator

Without hesitation, I’m so thankful for my student workers and Student Art Ambassadors!  Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky to see huge growth in student interest in the Escalette Collection, and our student workers and volunteers are to thank for this. They help me see the artwork from their perspective and are not afraid to share their opinions, lovely or harsh as they may be.

Alex Theologidy – Art Collections Communication Assistant

I joined the team in late August of this year, so I’m a relatively new member of the department. Working here has been an interesting and enriching experience; I am surrounded by really great art every day, and as the Art Collections Communication Assistant, I get to share this beauty with the community through social media outreach.

One painting that the really evokes the feeling of fall for me is an untitled work by Matthew Brown. I see the blurriness of the image like I see old memories of autumn; warm oranges and browns bring me back to sunny California Thanksgiving days spent with my family- memories I’ll always be thankful for.

Areni Nuyujukia – Student Art Collections Assistant, Class of 2016

I have greatly enjoyed my experience with the Escalette Collection. I am very thankful for Chapman’s alcove of female painters on the fourth floor of Beckman Hall for creating a platform for female artists in a male-dominated art world. The hallway puts the works in dialogue with one another in a very interesting way and is available for students to observe and study year-round.

Kelsey Anderson – Student Art Collections Assistant, Class of 2017

I have been working in the department since the start of the semester. I am very thankful to be able to work here with all of the beautiful artwork. My favorite piece in the collection is the photography series, Infected Landscape, by Shai Kremer. It has been influential on my outlook on life, especially during this holiday season, reminding me to be thankful for the security and peace I find at home. 

Jessica Johnson – Student Art Collections Assistant, Class of 2018

I am not an art major at Chapman University. I am actually a student of film and theatre, and was fortunate enough to enter this position last year as one of the first Student Art Ambassadors to the Escalette Permanent Collection of Art. Through this position, I was able to form an appreciation of art that I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to build from an academic standpoint. Not only this, but I am also extremely thankful to have helped build our Student Art Ambassador team for the 2015-2016 school year, and therefore being able to expand our Escalette family! I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, from our Escalette family to yours!

Chandana Srinivas – Student Art Collections Assistant, Class of 2019

I have been working for the Escallete Permanent Collection of Art since the beginning of this semester, and each day has been filled with joyous laughter and memories I can refer to as ‘the good ol’ times.’ I am very thankful for the fact that I know all of my colleagues personally and that I’m surrounded by so many different works of art that give me immense knowledge.

Featured Image: Untitled, by Matthew Brown. Oil on canvas, 1991. Gift of Michael Reafsnyder.