Fiona Reinhard (Class of 2024)
Blogger Role: Guest Art Blogger
Major: English (Writing)
Minor: Art History
Clubs: Sigma Tau Delta
I chose Marywood because I wanted a small, walkable campus that still had plenty of opportunities for a “college experience”. I love the community building within Marywood and the fact that there is always something fun to do. I prioritized having a small class size to connect better with my professors and Marywood has been the perfect place for that.
I am majoring in English because I’ve been writing stories from a very young age and love how powerful my storytelling can be. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve written and published in genres other than fiction but will eventually explore non fiction and personal essays.
When I’m not in class, I’m probably working in one of the campus Art galleries or in my apartment DIYing something new. I change crafts pretty often but at the moment I’ve been exploring crochet.
So far, my favorite art class at Marywood was my very first art class I took initially to fulfill the general education requirement. Prior to Art History ll with Dr. Christa Irwin, the only art classes I had were back in middle school. I loved how many types of artwork we were taught and analyzed to find themes within them. I also learned the importance of historical context and the influence an artist can have on human history. Art history is something that I definitely wasn’t taught about in school but I was hooked instantly. At the same time that I was taking Art History ll, I was also starting my first year as an Art Gallery work study so my life was overwhelmingly (in the best way) art centric. It was also the year of my first trip to an art museum, which was truly life changing.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood so far was being a part of putting together art gallery shows for several years. I love the behind the scenes access I get to making sure every show is fun and successful. Gallery opening weekends are usually my favorite because I get to see the reactions of so many people. Since coming to Marywood I’ve had so many opportunities to be exposed to art, both local and global and in a variety of modalities.
When I graduate I hope to continue being a freelance writer on the side, while working full time in book publishing. Alternatively, I’d love to keep working in art galleries or write on art history topics. Since writing can be done from everywhere and art galleries are all over the country, I have a career that will allow me to live anywhere I want.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because even though I’m not an art major, the art faculty members and professors are always so nice and helpful for whatever I may need. Also thank you specifically to Dr. Irwin for suggesting I add an Art History minor to my time at Marywood.
