By Emma Weidmann | Staff Writer
The Martin Museum of Art kicked off homecoming week with a celebration of its own — a reception for Coming Home: A Retired Faculty Showcase on Tuesday night in which the works of eight retired Baylor professors were on display.
The professors to be honored are Mark Anderson; the late Bill Jensen, Ph.D.; Berry Klingman; John McClanahan; Paul McCoy; Terry Roller; Mary Ruth Smith, Ph.D. and Karl Umlaf. Three of these professors retired in 2020 during the pandemic, meaning the art department was unable to give them a proper send-off.
Dr. Heidi Hornik-Parsons, chair of the art and art history department at Baylor, said this showcase is the department’s way of honoring these professors’ decades-long careers.
“These are people who have been with us, and most of them committed their entire life and career to Baylor,” Hornik said. “This is my 33rd year [in the art department], so I’ve worked with all of these people and I really have immense respect for all of them, their efforts for the students, their productivity as artists and scholars.”
Professor Emeritus Mark Anderson served as chair of the art department from 2010 to 2020. He said for his art to be on display is an honor.
“[I think about] history in the making, passage of time,” Anderson said. “I’m glad to see all these people come back.”
Hornik said this showcase is meaningful because the retired faculty members touched the lives of thousands of students during their time at the university. She said she wants alumni to see the showcase and be reminded of their time at Baylor through these works. This is the first year retired faculty’s works have been on display for homecoming, Hornik said.
“We hope that people who have had these professors will come back, so they can stop in and be reminded of the works that they probably knew about as they were being produced by these artists while they were professors,” Hornik said. “Just as the students are coming home, so are these professors to the department.”
Many of the works on display are part of the John S. Belew Collection, a permanent collection of works by each member of the art department. When a studio artist joins the faculty, they are asked to donate one of their pieces to the collection.
In addition to paintings, there are as many different types of works on display as there are disciplines in the art department, such as sculpture, textiles and printmaking.
Belton sophomore Sharon Almon, a studio art major, attended the showcase. Almon said she enjoys coming to arts events and admires the art for the legacy it represents, although each professor retired before she came to Baylor.
“I didn’t know any of them, but I know that they made an impact on the art department,” Almon said. “It’s really cool to see everybody come together for these events and appreciate the work of people who worked here.”
Anderson said what he misses the most about Baylor and being the chair of the art department is the people — meeting them, getting to know them and helping them.
“My favorite part was helping to solve problems, supporting the faculty and walking through the hallways and staying in touch with people,” Anderson said. “Those were probably my favorite things … It’s the people.”
