Bucks County Community College (BCCC) is putting six decades of artistic legacy on display with “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” at the Hicks Art Center on the Newtown Campus at the end of August.
“The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” will be on display from August 25-October 25. There is an opening reception including a meet-and-greet with the new dean of the School of Arts and Communication, Carolina Blatt, Ph.D. and live music by a faculty ensemble taking place from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, August 28. The public is invited to the opening reception. Blatt is an arts administrator, educator, and scholar who seeks to catalyze the arts within and beyond the classroom. She recently worked at Rowan University, Drexel University, and the University of the Arts. Admission to the August 28 reception is free, buta response is requested by emailing foundation@bucks.edu.
Various works by 27 retired professors and administrators from 1965 to 2025 will be shown and heard throughout the Hicks Art Center. These works will include recent and historic works that have never been exhibited or played in public before.
“The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition highlights the teaching coterie of artists, historians, and musicians who have profoundly impacted modern and contemporary culture locally and around the world,” said Clifford Eberly, exhibitions associate and the show’s
cu rator.“The School of Arts and Communication wanted to recognize their achievements and contributions to Bucks County and beyond.”
Those achievements include six Guggenheim fellows, the founding director of the Michener Art Museum, two professors who taught at Ivy League universities, and some whose works are in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other prestigious collections, Eberly noted.
Bucks was one of the first community colleges in the nation to become an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). It has also been designated as an All-Steinway School by the legendary piano maker.
“Bucks’ reputation as a creative wellspring in the community is in large part due to the exceptional artists who have populated our faculty and nurtured our students,” said Blatt. “This show is a testament to the caliber of artists who have worked and trained here. Seeing decades of faculty work gathered in one place is sure to inspire.”
Although the college would periodically hold exhibitions to honor faculty as they retired, this is the first to encompass emeriti across all 60 years, according to Fran Orlando, former Director of Exhibitions and Artmobile.
“I was drawn to Bucks because of its status as an outstanding college for the arts, and it did not disappoint,” said Orlando, who worked at Bucks for nearly 35 years. “It was a privilege to work with extraordinary colleagues, some of whom were founding faculty
members.”
Professor Emerita Caren Friedman, who recently retired, had a similar experience saying, “Having taught at Bucks for 34 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with a group of talented and dedicated artists and colleagues,” said Friedman.” Our studio classes create an interactive learning environment that fosters lasting connections among faculty and students from many diverse backgrounds.”
The exhibition features sculpture, woodturning, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, glass, musical compositions, and art history research by retired professors and administrators. It is dedicated to Professor Emerita Marlene E. Miller, who taught at Bucks from 1966 to 1998 and recently passed away on July 30. Referring to her own art practice, Miller wrote “I’m always observing the world around me and painting the image of the underdog. I’m compelled to put before people things that attack their feelings and consciousness about social issues.”
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturday noon – 4 p.m. Click here to learn more, visit and follow on Instagram at @bcccartscomm.
The Hicks Art Center is located on the east end of the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. Click here for directions and a campus map.
The exhibition is presented by the College’s School of Arts and Communication, which offers eight associate degree majors and two certificate programs. Through coursework, exhibitions, and community engagement, the school prepares students for careers in the arts and inspires appreciation for creative expression.
To learn more, email arts.comm@bucks.edu, call 215-968-8425 or click here.
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