Nearby Rock Sighs Pink: An Elegy of Sorts for Cazenovia College
Nearby Rock Sighs Pink: An Elegy of Sorts for Cazenovia College
Cazenovia College held its 198th and final commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023 and officially closed on June 30, 2023. While the College worked tirelessly to strengthen its financial position, unfortunately, these efforts did not create results to ensure long-term viability.
source: www.cazenoviacollege.com
Nearby Rock Sighs Pink began as a series of photographic images of architectural details of Cazenovia College inspired by the iconic Cazenovia screen prints made by artist and former Cazenovia College instructor, Rita Hammond (1924-1999) in the 1970’s.
Like so many alumni and Cazenovia residents, news of the college’s closing was devastating. I literally grew up on the campus, in Watts Hall, from the age of 12, as my mother, Peg Rickett, was the College’s Director of Residences and housemother of Watts. When Peg died in 2000, Dorothy Riester, artist, founder of Stone Quarry Art Park, and Cazenovia College instructor, created a sculpture, House Mother, in her memory. House Mother lived in Watt’s courtyard and is featured in the Winter Festival video projection.
However, it was another formation, a large grey sedimentary rock, covered in bits of moss and traces of brightly colored paints that altered and subsequently deepened the project. I imagined all that this stately boulder has seen since the college opened its doors in 1824. Was she there in the beginning? Did someone bring her here like they brought me? Her memories and mine are intertwined. To me, she’ll always be a reminder to see beyond the sadness to create something new, renewed. How about you?