The View From Here

Lights. Camera. Canvas.

It’s mid-morning in the Frederick R. Mayer Art Center and Tara Lewis (pictured left) has no less than three paint brushes in her hands. Lewis, the Alexander W. Clowes ’64 Instructor in Art, is putting the final touches on a few oil paintings, one of which features actor Paul Mescal from the film Hamnet. The piece was commissioned by the 98th Academy Awards artist project for a limited-edition book, TheWrapBook Vol. 5: The Art of Cinema. “I created the paintings in my own distinctive style, developing an image that reflects both the actor’s presence and the cultural moment surrounding their performances,” says Lewis, who has been teaching art at the Academy for more than two decades.

Working alongside Lewis, Shawna Jiang ’26 (pictured right) watches her teacher’s technique and asks questions as she develops a portrait of her brother during the ART 408: Painting Portraits class block. “I loved painting next to Ms. Lewis this past term!” Jiang says. “I looked up to her as a mentor. Together we would ponder which photograph to paint, dissecting the tiniest differences in the model’s poses. We had many talks and laughs, and it made this class one of the most enjoyable classes I’ve taken at Exeter!”

The feeling was mutual. “I love the creative energy, determination and clever concepts my students present in the studio each day!” Lewis says.