While at Yale University, the group met with Deerfield Alumni, including Lily Lin ’23, Will Sussbauer ’23, Elle Stearns ’23, Stephen Morris ’23, Claire Cummings ’21, and Lukas Trelease ’20. Mr. Trelease described this reunion as “a love fest,” and testament tp Deerfield’s strong community.
At the gallery, students viewed many art pieces, including those in the permanent collections and the special Mickalene Thomas exhibit, which focused on early American portraits of black women.
Xavier Armas ‘24 described an Indo-Pacific art exhibit featuring a cane that he found interesting. “Although it was just a cane, the effort and energy [the artists] put into every single work showed the cohesion in each piece of art,” Armas explained.
Jennifer Luiru ’25 found a piece by multimedia artist Sula Bermúdez-Silverman particularly striking. The piece, an artistic rendition of a dollhouse with boarded-up windows made with Himalayan Salt Resin and sugar, was a commentary on slavery in the Caribbean sugar islands. Luiru said she was struck by “just how beautifully [the artist’s] ideas and thoughts were depicted in an art form.” Many students interacted with the exhibit, taking pictures and using the pieces to inspire their own art.
According to Mr. Trelease, student inspiration is what these trips are about. Describing the students’ interest in an exhibit by contemporary Black artists, he said, “Several students went down [to the Gallery] and were really into that connection.” To build interest in his trips, he tries to find permanent collections that are always relevant, as well as a seasonal collection that he thinks students can connect with.
Art trips, such as the trip to Yale University, are opportunities for students to view high-caliber artwork off-campus.
Reflecting on the experience, Luiru shared, “I feel as if it’s very important and critical for Deerfield students to have an opportunity to look and be inspired by different artists around different parts of the world.”
Mr. Trelease sought to inspire students to find dialogue within the pieces. When Tene Ouedraogo ’25 asked him about a painting featuring George Washington with a piece of fabric containing the names of his 250 slaves nailed to his mouth, it opened the door for the two to engage in a conversation on critical analysis of art.
Mr. Trelease recalled that this artwork piqued her curiosity as well as his own. In turn, the two found out that there are contemporary artists who aim to express radical and thought-provoking ideas, which give a new voice to “talk about things that are really complicated and powerful.” Regarding this experience, Mr. Trelease said, “That’s the kind of dialogue I love.”