College Hosts Commencement Ceremony, Saturday, May 17

Honorary Degree Recipient, Commencement Speaker is Acclaimed Contemporary Figurative Painter and Syracuse University Professor, Jerome Witkin

The honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker will be acclaimed contemporary figurative painter, Jerome Witkin.  Considered one of America’s most important living figurative artists, Witkin is revered for his penetrating psychological portraits and haunting political narratives.  He has known an enviable number of artists central to the development of 20th American painting and has studied the history of art with great care.  Art historian Donald Kuspit described Witkin’s monumental works about the Holocaus—a series done over 23 years—as, "Dreams in the grand visionary manner of the Old Masters."

Currently a professor at Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, where he has taught since 1971, Witkin has held several other teaching positions and been appointed as a visiting artist at several universities. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors. His works are held in many public collections of prominent museums and galleries around the world.

The Distinguished Service in Art Education Award is being given to educator, Mark Milowsky, (B.F.A. Columbus College of Art and Design, M.F.A. University of North Carolina) who joined Belmont High School in Belmont, Mass., 17 years ago.  Milowsky has revitalized the Belmont High art program by introducing Advanced Placement (AP) in Studio Art drawing and design portfolio to both entry level and art school bound seniors.  Due to the success of the AP art program, his students have received state and national honors and the highest scholarships from the most prestigious art schools.  Milowsky is a practicing painter and has exhibited his works in numerous galleries in Boston, New York, and Arizona before becoming an educator.

The Alumni Association speaker will be Dora Atwater Millikin, a member of the Lyme Academy College Class of 2002, who received the John Stobart Fellowship Award at graduation, an award encouraging the transition to a professional career in painting.  She is an elected member of the Copley Society and continues to participate in local and national painting competitions and exhibitions.  Millikin is a member and painting teacher at the Providence Art Club, and paints at the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme, Conn.  She has received numerous honors and awards and her work is in private collections in Europe and the United States. 

There are 21 graduating members of the Class of 2014, 20 of whom will be receiving B.F.A. degrees and one a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate.  The Class comprises nine students majoring in Painting, three in Illustration, three in Sculpture and six in Drawing.

Winners of the Stephen and Lynne Wardlaw Awards for Excellence, the John Stobart Fellowship Award and the Diana Atwood Johnson Leadership Award will be announced at the ceremony.

A reception will be held immediately after the ceremony for the graduates and their families at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, 84 Lyme Street in Old Lyme.  This will also be a final opportunity to view the exceptional 2014 Senior Studio Exhibition.

For more information, contact Olwen Logan at 860-434-3571, ext. 135 or ologan@lymeacademy.edu