THATCHER — Baylen Hartley said her goal is to teach young people the joy of art.
Perhaps in the future, one of her students will have the same honor as she, having an artwork hanging in the office of the president of Eastern Arizona College.
Hartley’s work, entitled “Fabric Study” was installed in President Todd Haynie’s office Wednesday morning.
“I’m physically able to show people who come up to visit with me what our students are doing,” Haynie said. “This is why we’re here; it’s not because of me or even anyone in this set of offices, it’s because of the students. I love that connection.”
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
Hartley’s work is in conte crayon on toned paper and depicts a draped sheet. Her instructor, Holt Brasher, described the work as “one of the better (pieces) in the class.”
“She could make it pop off that paper and it has three-dimensionality. She has a style all her own, with that kind of hard-edged style. And what’s really interesting about it she’s kind of got hard edges, but you can still feel that softness of that fabric, and you can almost reach out and touch it,” Brasher said.
Hartley will graduate this semester and said she hopes secure study abroad, learning more about art as she travels the world. Then it will be time to find a high school position teaching art.
“I feel like teaching is kind of big in my family; a lot of people in my family are teaching, so I kind of grew up around that,” Hartley said. “I like to work with people.”
Hartley’s work will hang in the office of the president through the next semester.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:38 a.m. Thursday, March 7, 2024, to correct the Keith Alexander’s title.
