“I think that journeys through fog allows us to see with precision. Journeys through rain allow us to feel the warmth of sunlight, and journeys through silence allow us to hear the crashing waves,” alumnae Ann Conrad Stewart ’81 said. Among the first things community members see when entering the main building are eight replicas of Stewart’s oil landscapes from her collection, Mapping the Cliff Walk, depicting lush ocean and landscape scenery, lining the walls of the foyer.
After graduating from college, Stewart returned to the school and completed a printing residency, where she was able to research printmaking. Stewart has been a contributing artist to three group exhibits in Tremaine gallery: Recursive Threads in 2016, Becoming 25 in 2017, and Fragmentary Blue in 2022. Her work has been displayed around the world in galleries and museums such as the Cynthia Reeves Gallery, the Editions, New York Artists Book Fair, and the Hong Kong Design Institute. She currently works in New York City as a teacher and painter.
For over four decades, Stewart has treasured the beauty of the Cliff Walk, a 1.1 mile seaside walk in Scarborough, Maine. Her journey throughout the project Mapping the Cliff Walk began ten years ago through hiking, gathering images, and mapping locations to spark inspiration and gather information regarding the Cliff Walk. “It is a different experience each hour of the day, and in every season of the year. Available maps of the Cliff Walk made me realize this path was not only part of our present experience, but also has been a part of art history south Maine’s coast for generations. I wanted my paintings and map to contribute to that conversation,” Stewart said.
Although unable to visit the Cliff Walk in person due to Covid-19 restrictions in spring of 2020, Stewart improvised by using digital images she had taken and maps of the trail. Working from home during the pandemic, Stewart used digital tools, such as pixelation and cartography to assist in creating her artwork. Images in the exhibit were selected by Stewart, in consultation with Head of School Craig Bradley and Ms. Joan Baldwin, curator of special collections.
“They give a sense of calm, something that is much needed after the pandemic”, said Albert Chen ’26. Baldwin said, “At a place where life can sometimes be rushed, and we forget to press pause, and I hope that the Hotchkiss family will take time to stop in the lobby and just look. There’s no need to think. Just look. Enjoy. Imagine. Take in the images. And read Stewart’s artist’s statement.”
This exhibit is located in the main building and will be on display until 2024. For more information, refer to the artist statement, which can be found to the left of the foyer.
