Student Art Project Celebrates Geographical Interconnections

As Wellesley students set off to spend their summers in every part of the globe, one senior’s art project remains planted on Green Beach to point the way. Anna Gaskill ’19, an environmental studies major and studio art minor, was inspired by the ways distant locations can be connected for her final project in Advanced Sculpture, taught by Andrew Mowbray, lecturer in art.

Drawing on her own background of frequent relocation, Gaskill set out to capture the experience of traveling to new and faraway places. “I decided to make road signs, because most of my moves occurred through lengthy road trips,” Gaskill says, “and the way exit signs on highways often indicate which cities they eventually lead to makes me feel more connected to the places around me, even though moving to a new place can be isolating.” Each sign is angled toward the location it represents.

Gaskill’s project also focuses on the worldwide connections of Wellesley students. “I often hear Wellesley referred to as a ‘bubble,’” she says, “and in my experience this simply isn't true.” Gaskill has peers from all over the world, and her project recognizes the international span of Wellesley’s student network.

With reporting from Maggie Olmsted ’21