Student-Curated Exhibit Spreads Joy This Season

The result is “Home for the Holidays,” an exhibition featuring artwork by classmates and local senior citizens. 

“Over the summer, Jenny and I decided we wanted to make our club more service based,” Baah explained. “We wanted to give a little gift to those who do not have a family to go to or cannot leave their rooms, and nursing home patients came to mind.”

“The holidays are a time for people to connect, establish deeper relationships and enjoy the love around them and this is what we wanted the art on display to bring to people,” Xu said.

Last month, the creative-minded duo partnered with MISH to organize a watercolor workshop at Andrus on Hudson, a nursing home in Hastings-on-Hudson. The students painted portraits of the Andrus residents and taught them some watercolor techniques. The collaborative artwork that is on view became the foundation of the exhibit.

The array of moving and personal works in the exhibition features photography, painting and illustration. In addition to Xu and Baah, artists Tereza Horvatova ’25, Colin Smith ’25, Sophia Ding ’26, Anna Moscato ’25, Sophie Moussapour ’25 and Zara Murray ’27 are showcasing their work. The work of Rory Frasch ’25 and Remy Morra Pearlman ’25 are presented in an online gallery.

Xu is delighted to see her efforts come to fruition.“I had the idea of creating exhibitions and providing spaces for students to appreciate and make art since sophomore year,” she said. “I hope to use my art to start conversations and encourage connections between artists and people around us.” 

Cheryl Hajjar, visual arts chair, is proud of what Baah and Xu accomplished. “These works celebrate joyful and memorable moments,” Hajjar said. 

“Home for the Holidays” is on view through January 31 in the Wenberg Gallery on the third floor of the Fonseca Center.