Alyssa Ferrence (Class of 2025)
Name: Alyssa Ferrence
Blogger Role: Art History
Major: Art History & Arts Administration, Double Major
I chose Marywood because of a specific program I wanted to get into. I transferred to Marywood for the experiential Art Therapy program, but I fell in love with Art History so hard I had to pursue it. I love my professors and the campus, so it made sense to stay where I liked it. As an artist myself, having beautiful scenery helps my creative side churn.
I am majoring in art simply because I love it. I have an associate degree in fine arts, and I just couldn’t get enough. I continue making my own art now while studying art from the past. Art has been a great way for me to get out of head and focus on something better. It’s a soothing activity in itself and I find looking at it to be soothing as well.
When I am not in class I am hanging out with my cat, Sammy. As an introvert and homebody, I am often home listening to music, taking naps, cleaning, and of course drawing. I also have a part-time job that keeps me busy on the weekends. I do go to visit my parents very often as well, I’m very close with both of them. This also gives me the often much needed chance to see my dog, Sage, who is quite literally the embodiment of complete love and trust. Visiting my parents is synonymous with visiting my grandparents as well, as I wouldn’t see them often otherwise. Unfortunately, my complete and utter obsession with the ancient world and ancient Greece often takes over my life and my thoughts. At any given time, I’m listening to podcasts or reading something related. I am almost always thinking about it or something related.
So far, my favorite art class at Marywood was the Art History class with Dr. Irwin that completely changed my life. I had no idea I would find myself loving something as much as I love art history, learning about it and getting to observe it too. When combining my love for ancient Greece, the class got even better. I can go on for hours. However, the reason I loved art history so much was partially to the history but also due to the art and the techniques behind them. I’ve already taken many painting classes to learn how to paint traditionally, so studying the traditional is a very cool experience. I have an “aha!” moment every class.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood so far was attend the Philadelphia Art Museum spring bus trip. I was able to get close to the art and see all the details you can’t see online. I even got a bit too close and was approached by security. I’m looking forward to going back and also the other opportunities I will get to experience thanks to the Marywood Art department.
When I graduate, I will be going to graduate school to specialize in ancient Greek and roman art. I also plan to specialize in the ancient world in general, as my obsession spans past just Greek mythology and ancient Greece, but also the ancient world and its history as well. Learning as much as I can about these topics gets my adrenaline pumping, and my face in a laptop searching for any and all information I can gather.
I’d recommend the art program at Marywood because the instructors are passionate about what they are teaching and are extremely knowledgeable. It is because they are so enthusiastic that it’s hard to not be enthusiastic with them.
