By Elizabeth Burke '17
Assistant Professor of Creative Arts, Scott Foster, M.F.A, faculty and students gathered in Foy Hall on Friday September 18 to create monochromatic paintings for the nationwide Torrit Grey Painting Competition.
Instead of sending pigment dust to the landfills, the paint company Gamblin Artists Colors collects them from the Torit Air Filtration System to create their paint, “Gambling Torrit Grey” for their annual painting competition. Siena participants opened a fresh bottle of paint to create their monochromatic art, including abstract, still life, portrait and photo references paintings.
As a Franciscan college, the event demonstrated the core value of respect for nature that St. Francis held true.
“Fundamentally, all painting and drawing is about seeing. We look at the world and know it for what it is,” said Foster. “My students learn to draw and paint, but more importantly, they learn to see. That sort of reverence for, and observation of, the world I think is fundamentally Franciscan.”
Professor of Management Melinda L. Costello, Ph.D. is currently working on her creative arts degree while teaching management classes at Siena. After taking creative arts classes, Costello realized that she could apply her passion for art to her students’ assignments. In her Organizational Behavior class, she required students to participate in drawing exercises to promote creativity and help them brainstorm ideas.
“It has given me a lot of empathy for students with deadlines and grades. It really has helped me to see things from the other side,” said Costello.
This was not the first Torrit Grey Painting Competition Foster has hosted, nor will it be the last. As long as they keep creating the environmentally friendly paint, Foster will continue to host this event.
