Lost in the Studio
![emily lehman in the gallery](/images/Emily_Lehman.jpg")
Emily Lehman '14 recently had an exhibit, titled "Aftertaste," in the Goodyear Gallery. Photo by Tony Moore.
Emily Lehman '14 reflects on a year of creating and mentoring as part of her post-bac residency
by Tony Moore
Inside the Goodyear Building, the hardwood floors, worn and splattered with paint, are strewn with all the trappings of works in progress. Work spaces鈥攃ubbies and nooks and digital-art labs鈥攃an be found around every corner, and the smells of paint and wood and unidentified art supplies permeate the space, seeping from everything. The creaking floorboards of the 124-year-old former shoe factory add another layer of atmosphere, as does the silence that dominates once the building clears out.
And creaking away upstairs in the silence, late at night in a studio that would inspire widespread artistic envy, you might find Emily Lehman 鈥�14, the 2014-15 post-bachelor artist-in-residence, at work on one of her abstract paintings.
鈥淚鈥檒l spend anywhere from two to eight hours in the studio, and suddenly it鈥檒l be two in the morning and I鈥檝e just gotten lost in it,鈥� says the former art & art history major, noting that she plans on starting graduate school in the fall of 2016. 鈥淗aving studio space and having access to a print studio and ceramics studio is a pretty big deal鈥攊t鈥檚 been incredible and something I鈥檒l miss.鈥�
51黑料网鈥檚 post-bac art & art history residency is a yearlong opportunity for graduating seniors to prepare for graduate school and build a portfolio in their own studio in Goodyear while receiving a stipend for supplies. The post-bac resident can also audit classes in the department and serves in a teacher-assistant-type role, mentoring seniors.
鈥淭he post-bac program is pretty exciting for us,鈥� says Anthony Cervino, associate professor of studio art. 鈥淎nd Emily鈥檚 amazing work ethic and enviable studio practice really set the tone for this year鈥檚 seniors as they established their own working habits in their individual studios.鈥�
Todd Arsenault, associate professor of art, says that the way Lehman explores the creative process, paired with the 鈥渆xtremely high-quality work she made during her senior year,鈥� made her an easy choice for the post-bac position. And, he adds, 鈥渉er drive for making art really sets her apart.鈥�
In May, Lehman had a chance to show off the product of her year鈥檚 work when the Goodyear Gallery hosted her show, 鈥淎ftertaste.鈥� It was an event that brought together an artistic community that was at the heart of Lehman鈥檚 entire post-bac experience.
鈥淚 love the community here, the friendships that I鈥檝e formed with other art majors, and I鈥檝e seen myself growing as an artist through those relationships,鈥� Lehman says. 鈥淚 expected to grow this year, but I didn鈥檛 know how. So I鈥檓 really happy where I ended up.鈥�
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Published June 4, 2015