As a result of revived leadership, Wheaton’s only student-run art history club has begun to make a name for itself on campus. Most famous for their bus trip to The Met, Cooper-Hewitt, and the Guggenheim Museums last spring, ARTHive appears ready to continue the momentum this fall. As President Maddy Cook-Comey ’19 put it, the group is “small but mighty”.
According to former ARTHive president Allison Meyette ’18, the club originated from the collaboration of Professor McBreen and a handful of art history students. The group, however, later unofficially disbanded—leaving ARTHive at a standstill. Last year, when Meyette and others were approached by Professor McBreen to restart the group, they jumped at the chance. The key to a successful club, it appears, is successful leadership.
With Meyette and other executive board members currently studying abroad, the fate of ARTHive now rests in the hands of an entirely new group of art lovers. The executive board consists of President Maddy Cook-Comey ’19, Vice President Eleanor McGuirk ’18, Secretary Caroline Kennedy ’19, and Treasurer Hannah McIsaac ’19. The group is eager to “keep the legacy alive,” McIsaac said.
McIsaac said she hopes this ARTHive legacy consists of “Being just a cool bunch of folks who just really like to talk about art. We are spreading the roots for ARTHive so it will grow into a mighty tree and later, as old women, we can come back and be like, ‘we started this club from the ground [up].’”
This year ARTHive is coming in full speed ahead. “We just met with Ellen McBreen, the faculty sponsor,” explained Comey. “And we came up with some pretty exciting stuff for this semester.” The executive board mentioned a few possible events for the upcoming year—including a trip to the Newport mansions, study breaks, parties centered around the art community, and film viewings.
In addition, Comey hopes to do collaboration with other groups on campus, which could include an “art display or mural.” While she explained that this collaboration was not guaranteed, Comey stressed that these ideas demonstrates the creativity and diversity ARTHive represents as a whole.
For those interested, ARTHive meetings take place on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. in the New Yellow Parlor in Balfour, beginning on Sept. 15. This year is sure to be a defining one for ARTHive—and meetings are open to anyone with an interest or passion for art.