Visual Arts Faculty

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Lisa McNealus '79

    Ms. Lisa McNealus '79 

    Art Department Chair
    (802) 869-6251
    University of Vermont - BA
    Bio
  • Photo of Ryan Burch

    Mr. Ryan Burch 

    Ceramics Teacher / Assistant Coach, Snowboarding / Security
    NYSCC at Alfred University - BFA
    Bio
  • Photo of Peter Barreras

    Mr. Peter Barreras 

    Media Arts Faculty
    University of Wisconsin - BA
    School of Visual Arts - MFA
    Bio
Arts

Visual Arts

The arts are integrated into our lifestyle, with studios located throughout our campus. Display cases and galleries for both student and professional work decorate our halls and buildings. Artwork by alumni can be found throughout Vermont Academy.
The Visual Arts department takes pride in the wide variety of visual arts offered, which include fine arts, painting, pottery, filmmaking, photography, and many more.

The main art studio is located in the Lucy Athletic Complex. It is home to our traditional fine arts classes, including drawing, painting, printmaking and sculptural options. This studio features a beautiful view of campus with magnificent light. Throughout the year the art department offers field trips to a wide range of museums, galleries, and historical sites.

The pottery studio is located in the basement of Proctor Hall. This space is equipped with six potter’s wheels, a professional-sized gas reduction kiln, and a large working space.

Vermont Academy’s Digital Arts offerings include two year-long courses, Digital Photography and Filmmaking. Digital Photography students study design and composition, master the technical side of shooting with a DSLR, and edit their photos with Adobe Photoshop. Our filmmakers study classic and contemporary film, shoot their own short films, and learn how to edit video and sound.

For those students pursuing the highest levels of art, our Advanced Art class focuses on portfolio development and understanding art school options. Students travel to Portfolio Day in either Hartford or Boston and attend presentations by visiting colleges.

All our arts faculty encourage their students to enter juried competitions. Each spring, courtesy of the Bob '37 and Beth Campbell Endowment Fund for the Arts and Lecture Series, all seniors are invited to participate in a competition to have their art be purchased by Vermont Academy for our permanent alumni collection. The $500 prize is awarded during our Baccalaureate ceremony during commencement weekend.