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“I think I’ve always been painting,” says Olivia Harrison '25, artist of Fairytale Night, the striking and deeply saturated painting soon to be featured across all things Commencement 2025.
In keeping with Sarah Lawrence tradition, graduating students were invited to submit artwork to be used as the cover image for the College’s 97th Commencement, adorning programs, campus screens, emails, tickets, and more. Student art plays an important role in Sarah Lawrence commencements as a memorable reflection of the wide-ranging creativity and talent of our students. After a competitive open call with many compelling submissions, members of the Commencement Committee landed on three works to submit to President Cristle Collins Judd for final selection. As the selected artist, Olivia received a $250 prize.
Having first discovered Sarah Lawrence watching the 1999 classic 10 Things I Hate About You, further research drew Olivia to the College’s interdisciplinary curriculum and robust offerings in the arts. Beginning with her First-Year Studies class with John O’Connor — 2023 Guggenheim Fellow and member of the Sarah Lawrence faculty since 2010 — she immersed herself in the Visual and Studio Arts, taking, in her words, “all of the painting classes” as well as sculpture and even registering for her first photography class as a senior. Returning to study with O’Connor in her final year has allowed Olivia to reflect on her evolution as an artist since arriving at SLC. “He’s great to work with and challenges me by asking why I make the choices I make.”
Olivia tends to begin a work with a clear idea of the end result. Fairytale Night, however, emerged from a different process in one of her classes with Yevgeniya Baras. “I was throwing paint on a blank canvas and seeing what shapes came out of it,” she recalls. “I didn’t have any expectation … and it came together in a way that I was really satisfied with.” Engaging with a range of forms — even trying metalworking during an exchange semester at Pitzer College — may have something to do with this newfound approach. “[Sculpture] really helped me think about the quality of paint and the variety that I’m using ... I was thinking about the texture of things more.”
Outside the studio, Olivia tried her hand at curation, organizing an art exhibition as the culminating project of an independent study with O’Connor on preparing for the professional world. Titled Erda, after the Old English word for “Earth,” the event showcased works across many mediums by 15 SLC students, even featuring a live band and food prepared by another classmate at the opening reception. Olivia found it rewarding and good practice for what’s to come. “I felt like [producing the event] would be a good step because, once I graduate, the art world is a lot about connections, so collaborating with people and trying to form connections is something that I wanted to start focusing on.”
As she prepares to graduate on May 9, Olivia plans to move to New York City and continue to pursue art, considering possibilities like gallery internships and residencies. In many ways, her experiences at Sarah Lawrence serve as a model for what she’d like to cultivate down the road: “I’d love to form a[n artistic] community and ideally it’d be cool to have people go in on a space and create a community-run gallery.” She pauses, reflecting. “Yeah, I think that’d be really great.”
Congratulations, Olivia, and congratulations to the Class of 2025!