Studio Art

Name: Justin Gomez ’21
Undergrad Degree: BA in Studio Art and Psychology
Hometown: Bronx, NY

What were your reasons for choosing Fairfield University?

I chose Fairfield University because I wanted to experience something new. My brother encouraged me to attend Fairfield, and it became my first choice.

How did you choose your major?

I chose to major in Psychology and Studio Art because both disciplines speak to who I am as a person. I am an artist learning to understand others, myself, and how creativity can help us express ourselves.

What have been the best aspects of your experience at Fairfield?

I thoroughly enjoyed being in both “Artist Book Construction” and “Experiments in Drawing with Professor Yarrington.” I felt that I was truly able to be free and creative with every single project, even with criteria to fulfill. In my experience, I can say that these courses were among the first to allow me to have the creative freedom that I did. Many of the techniques that were presented to us were limitless and eventually brought me to an awareness of endless possibilities.

What interesting projects, research opportunity, or leadership experience were you involved in at Fairfield?

After taking Professor Yarrington’s “Artist Book Construction” and “Experiments in Drawing” courses, I was fortunate enough to continue working on pieces that relate to my final project. I was able to use the techniques learned in class and apply them creatively into a book art installation piece. I used the covers of books, folded and cut pages, as well as thread to combine all these elements together. I was excited to have a solo exhibition in the Lukacs Gallery in Loyola Hall, where I displayed and installed more book art pieces.

What would you tell a student who is considering attending Fairfield as an undergraduate?

I would tell any student considering Fairfield as an undergraduate that there are so many resources and opportunities to take advantage of here.

Name: Nicole Chrysler ’20
Undergrad Degree: BA in Studio Art and Psychology
Hometown: Mount Joy, PA

What were your reasons for choosing Fairfield University?

I received a very accommodating financial aid package, and I wanted to go outside of my comfort zone to a new area and new state.

How did you choose your major?

Going into college, I wanted to become an art therapist. I knew I wanted to help people and work in the health field using a creative outlet. However, I made a decision half way through senior year to stray from that path and to pursue a career as psychiatric technician. Changing my mind at the last minute was terrifying, but the resources at Fairfield really helped me figure out what I wanted to do.

What have been the best aspects of your experience at Fairfield?

The best aspects of my time at Fairfield were being a part of the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team, participating in the many traditions Fairfield has created, and meeting some of my best friends from varying states around the Northeast.

What interesting projects, research opportunity, or leadership experience were you involved in at Fairfield?

During my time at Fairfield, I participated in an internship at Silver Hill Hospital. Silver Hill is a psychiatric hospital that treats both adults and adolescents for mental health disorders. I sat in on art therapy, music therapy, and meditation therapy sessions as well as volunteered in the adolescent unit during their school hours. This internship really opened my eyes to what I am interested in and helped me to make the jump from art therapy to a more mental health focused career.

What would you tell a student who is considering attending Fairfield as an undergraduate?

Fairfield is one of the most special things I have ever been a part of. It is a smaller community compared to larger schools, but you make important academic connections and friendships that will last you a lifetime.

Name: Eleanor Sgaramella ’20
Undergrad Degree: BA in Studio Art and Creative Writing with a minors in Education Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

What were your reasons for choosing Fairfield University?

I was initially drawn to Fairfield because I wanted a traditional college campus experience after attending high school in New York City and commuting for four years. I liked the location being near both my home and NYC, which opens up so many opportunities to take city field trips and visit there socially. It felt like a good middle ground for me.

How did you choose your major?

I have always loved writing and books, so English felt like the obvious pick for me. I also knew that I had a deep interest and passion for gender and sexuality studies and that was something I wanted to continue to foster. Those are the two things I began with, and as experienced more, it was clear to me that art was something I wanted to add. It has always been a part of my life and is something that I also have a great passion for, so after learning what the studio art major at Fairfield entailed, I was very intrigued by the junior and senior showcases and the opportunity to have work displayed in a gallery for the first time. That, and my already existing love for the craft, made me decide to add studio art into my studies.

What have been the best aspects of your experience at Fairfield?

The best aspects for me were the classes and the clubs I took part in. I found communities with my friends, but also with the clubs I participated in. Also, some classes at Fairfield will stay with me always. As I got further into my studies and was able to continue choosing courses that were centered in my interests, I felt passionate about my work for them.

What interesting projects, research opportunity, or leadership experience were you involved in at Fairfield?

I was able to complete two internships, one with a Fairfield photography professor as a darkroom intern, and another at the Pequot Library in Southport, Conn., where I worked in the special collections department. Both of these experiences were amazing. As a darkroom intern, I got to further the new love I'd developed for manual process photography after taking a darkroom class at Fairfield, and I also got to work with my professor on his personal art. At the Pequot Library, I got the opportunity to learn about library cataloging and work with historical children's novels, getting to look at pieces of history and learn about them and their owners from what was left on the pages.

What would you tell a student who is considering attending Fairfield as an undergraduate?

I would tell someone considering Fairfield that I met people there that I can't imagine not having in my life, and that those people include professors and administrators I've gotten the pleasure to work with. The people in the two departments I was most involved with, English and Studio Art, are wonderful and encouraging and are connections I hope to continue for years to come.

How have the resources and opportunities offered to you through Fairfield helped you move closer to achieving your career goals?

By having the relationships with prior internship contacts, and Fairfield faculty and staff, I am able to rely on having references as I am searching for a job. I have people who know me well, that I know I can rely on for recommendations and such, which provides me a great security. I also know that I have faculty at Fairfield I can look to for advice or words of wisdom from experience about anything I am confused about as I begin to navigate this new chapter of life after college.