If an exciting return to a new semester isn’t enough, the new year will also include the opening of the Faculty and Staff Art Showcase in the Romano Gallery. All Blair employees have been invited to exhibit their artwork, highlighting hidden talents and lifelong passions across campus. It is a unique opportunity for students to take an up close look at a side of well-known faculty and staff they might not otherwise see. On Thursday, January 8, all are welcome to the artist talk in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts, where our very own artists will be on hand to discuss their work with curious members of the community.

“Truth be told, I am both excited and nervous about having my art on display for the entire community to both see and form opinions on,” first-year science teacher Anna Glosenger shares. “However, the opportunity to be in a gallery of any kind is too good to pass up. It’s always been a secret dream of mine.”

Ms. Glosenger will be showcasing digital illustrations with a focus on lighting, color and impactful contrast. She’s been illustrating since the seventh grade and loves witnessing the growth in her work over time.

“My best a year ago is my minimum now,” she explains. “Knowing you can get better at any skill you put your mind and effort to is such an incredible feeling and art is my way of proving that to me.”

Another hidden artist in our community that has been honing his craft for years is dining server Steve Kypers. Mr. Kypers attended art school and became a freelance artist before working his way up to art director at an advertising agency. As art became more digitized over his career, he made a shift to the catering and hospitality industry, but never lost his love for art.

“I draw, paint and write,” Mr. Kypers says, “but my passion is photography.” Along with his photographs, he will be sharing some mixed media in the Romano Gallery as well.

One artist who might not come as a surprise in the show is science teacher Mike Ryerson, whose woodworking expertise has been showcased in countless school plays and become a popular class during Intersession. Mr. Ryerson will be showcasing some of his pieces from the last few years, including a “floating” tensegrity table he built as a decorative piece in 2021 and a wooden puzzle he’s crafted a few versions of over the years. 

“Both of these are examples of my fascination with the intersection of art and engineering—where interesting design meets physics,” he notes. “I like building pieces that are functional but also visually interesting, and usually at least a bit surprising.” 

Witness all the amazing artistry Blair employees have to offer in the exhibit from January 5 to 30 in the Romano Gallery.