“Blue Door (Henry Packer),” egg tempera on panel, by Sam Knecht.
Ty Ruddy | Collegian
You might recall walking past a portrait of Pat and Lesley Sajak in the lobby of Kendall Hall, or of a girl practicing her violin in the echoey halls of Howard Music Hall. If neither of these are familiar, maybe the painting of the Founding Fathers on the cover of the U.S. Constitution Reader jogs your memory. They all have one thing in common: Sam Knecht.
Currently displayed in the Daughtery Art Gallery until Friday, Nov. 21, the exhibit “Looking for Light” features the many works of Knecht — an emeritus professor of art who chaired the college’s art department for 34 years — containing portraits from Ransom Dunn to Knecht’s friend Henry Packer, and to sights familiar to Hillsdalians and Michiganders alike.
“I find inspiration for my art every day — almost every moment. I’m constantly aware of my surroundings, the scenes and people in them,” Knecht said. “Often I contemplate how what I’ve noticed might work as a painting.”
Much of Knecht’s art captures the Hillsdale spirit because he knows Hillsdale. On the opening night of his gallery, crowds of fellow professors and friends filled the entryway of the Fine Arts Building. The parking lot was so full that a line of parked cars formed along the sidewalk next to Niedfeldt Residence.
“My favorite part of the gallery opening was meeting the large range of Hillsdale community that came out to support his show. I was able to meet some of the alumni that Professor Knecht taught during his 40 years of teaching at Hillsdale College,” junior and art student Maria Grazia Stroik said. “It was beautiful to see these reunions take place and see how tight-knit the art department is, bringing together the past and present art students in the celebration of a professor who poured so much energy into building the art department we see today.”
Some of the most gripping pieces in Knecht’s collection are his portraits. The individual hairs on someone’s head, the smooth transition between a cheek and a nose, or the folds of a button-up shirt — the intricacy is beautiful. He uses media such as watercolor, oil on linen, and egg tempera to build the different textures that form these images.
“‘Blue Door’ is an egg tempera painting of my friend Henry Packer. He lives a simple existence ‘off the grid’ in the country,” Knecht said. “While portraying him I took advantage of the benefits of egg tempera, which is well-suited to fine line detail. It’s a runny form of paint that dries very quickly, thus allowing a buildup of lots of detailed strokes. It’s great for all kinds of interesting textures.”
Associate Professor of Art Anthony Frudakis, who met Knecht 34 years ago, said Knecht’s technique is one of the reasons why he was such a valuable professor and colleague.
“Sam was indispensable to the art department for decades,” Frudakis said. “He gained respect from all of his colleagues for the breadth and skill of his knowledge in teaching and in his paintings. And when we say paint, we’re not just talking about oils, but we’re also talking about watercolor and egg tempera. Each one of these is a specialty unto its own.”
Junior and art major Nora Shipp shared the same perspective as Frudakis, but with a student’s eye.
“He clearly has a very good technique, which is what Hillsdale really emphasizes in the art department — having the ability to capture life around us — I think that’s a really special thing and it comes through very clearly in his paintings,” Shipp said.
Although Knecht may view the world through the vision of an artist, not everyone else does. For those who may not be artistically inclined, he said there is still a way they can adopt an artist’s eye.
“I recommend looking at a scene, or a person, and tune in to shapes and colors. Even noticing empty spaces can be a delight,” Knecht said. “It can be like noticing pearl drops of sunlight popping through tree foliage, or the tilt or turn of a friend’s head during conversation.”
This sort of vision brings new life to the same objects, a theme in Knecht’s art that Shipp pointed out.
“What’s really struck me is how he has a lot of paintings that are of the same place, and you can see the little changes that he makes in the light quality or the time of year that they’re done,” Shipp said. “And so that’s interesting to see ways artists bring different, unique life to the same subject matter.”
Creating with the same passion as 40 years ago, Frudakis said Knecht’s relentlessness inspires artists to do the same.
“It’s inspiring to see in Sam this continued search for beauty through his work. I haven’t seen any let-up in that energy and passion in his work for all the time I’ve known him up till the present day. That is a remarkable accomplishment,” Frudakis said. “It inspires the rest of us young fellows like me who are only 72.”
Even though Knecht is retired from teaching, he said he does not intend to retire his paintbrush.
“I have no plans to stop painting,” Knecht said. “I’m blessed with very good health and look forward to at least a decade or two involved with painting. I’m just getting started and have lots to explore.”
