Visiting artist Sue McNally worked with students and inspired creativity.
Last Friday, the Addison Gallery of American Art hosted the “Late ‘Til 8” event, inviting students to study and make arts and crafts in the Addison outside of its usual hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm. The event, organized and hosted by the Addison Community Ambassadors Club, spotlighted Sue McNally, the artist in residence.
A member of the Addison Community Ambassadors Club, Mia Isaacson ’26, helped set up the arts and crafts table in Addison. She highlighted how the event was an opportunity for students to further explore the museum and to try their own hand at arts.
“[Addison Late ‘Til 8] is for people to have more time to explore Addison. We have some art activities for people to get creative and unwind during this busy week,” said Isaacson.
Isaacson continued on, mentioning how the Addison has driven her passion for art. She also highlighted how the Addison has driven her to encourage more people to embrace the museum as a resource.
“One of the main reasons I came to Andover [is the] Addison. I think it’s so cool to have a museum on campus, and I want to explore as much as possible,” Mia reflected, underscoring her commitment to fostering a vibrant artistic community.
One of the standout features of Addison Late ‘Til 8 is its extended hours, as expressed through the event name, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in the serene atmosphere of the museum beyond the regular school hours. The Addison is a quiet study space and has private desks for students to use.
“My favorite part of this event is that it’s open until late. We can have long study hours. I love studying in Addison. It’s [Garver Room] but better,” said Isaacson.
The preparation process for the event was swift yet efficient, with Isaacson and her team organizing the logistics just two days prior. They arranged tables, gathered art supplies, and curated various activities to engage attendees throughout the evening. The visiting artist, Sue McNally, attended the event to meet with students and inspire their creative processes. She was eager to engage with attendees, share her artistic insights, and also gain insight into her work.
“It’s been cool working with other students and hearing what people are saying, and I had this painting that I was struggling with, and after all my studio visits, I was able to change it based on what the kids said to me,” said McNally.
Sue’s distinctive art style, characterized by large-scale landscape paintings, has captivated audiences for years, and her presence added a unique dimension to the event. While McNally didn’t create any art at the event, she shared her creative process, emphasizing its intuitive and responsive nature.
“Well, it’s long-standing. I’ve been doing it for many, many, many, many years. And I would say that it’s intuitive and responsive… I have one project I’ve been doing since 2010, which is I have been making a giant painting to represent each state. And so the new acquisition here in the museum… is the state of Rhode Island.” said McNally.
Attendee Daryn Burnette ’26, who has been creating her own mural with classmate Lucille Heyd ’26 and McNally for several weeks, presented her work at the event. She expressed how throughout the mural-making process, McNally emphasized giving the artists creative freedom.
“It was really fun because [McNally] kind of let us have free range over what we wanted to paint and do. She showed us certain techniques to create certain effects, and she gave us so much creative freedom. Whatever we wanted to do, she supported us through,” said Burnette.
