Art

Sydney Brown came to Roanoke College intending to major in political science, but now plans to leave with a major in art and a minor in art history. After taking a ceramics class her freshman year, Brown realized "there was no denying the way I felt about art and how at home I felt in the studio. This was the class where I knew art was my passion." Brown is exploring the possibility of pursuing a master's degree after she graduates, and she is confident that she has the "skillset and determination to succeed in the arts world."

Roanoke College art grad Jon Murrill ’09 came back to campus—this time with brushes in hand. Known for his vibrant  murals all over the Roanoke Valley, Jon was commissioned to create a new piece for the Maroon community. Watch the video to see how Jon brought his vision to life and left a lasting mark on campus.

Kenneth Tryal ’16 believes that if it weren’t for the support of the staff of the Roanoke College Fine Arts Department, he wouldn’t be on the path to a successful career as an artist. Thanks to their inspiration and encouragement, Tryal sought and completed a yearlong internship with the Disney Corporation. In January 2020, he was hired as a contracted character artist for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. His job involves drawing stylized and on-model versions of Disney, Pixar and Marvel characters to be sold on merchandise in the Disney parks and in The Disney Store.

Margaret Houston '10 was a photo intern for one year at Garden & Gun Magazine when the publication hired her as an assistant photo editor. She is now the associate photo editor at the Charleston, South Carolina-based Southern lifestyle magazine. Houston works with her team daily to decide how stories will be depicted with photos. She majored in art at Roanoke, where working in ceramics, silk screening and jewelry-making opened her eyes to the art world. 

"You meet an eclectic group of people all with different visions and get a lot of creative control when you're the one behind the camera," she said.

Philip Hatter, former studio arts major at Roanoke College, designs and builds custom puppets for his clients from his basement workshop in Roanoke. He founded Thistledown Puppets in 2006. Its Web site has led to jobs for the American toy company Hasbro, a film group in Malaysia producing children's DVDs and a British entertainment company as well as puppeteers and puppet lovers in the United States, Canada and Holland. "I've found that puppets really combine everything I love about art," he said.