On Sept. 25, Horvitz Hall opened its doors to Caroline Del Giudice ’15, a Detroit-based sculptor and fabricator. Sponsored by the Department of Studio Art for the Mesaros Visiting Artist Program, Del Giudice was welcomed in Horvitz Hall Digital Studio 1 by a group of art students and faculty. 

The Kenyon alumna, who graduated with a B.A. in studio art and anthropology, started her journey as a sculptor in our very own Horvitz Hall. She opened the lecture by thanking her early professors and effortlessly guiding us through her journey to becoming a professional artist. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, Del Giudice recounts being “enamored” with ceramics and the galleries she was taken to in D.C. Del Giudice describes art as “always there, always at the forefront of my time.” These early childhood experiences were the stepping stones for a long relationship with the art industry. 

The beginning of Del Giudice’s career in sculpture was right here at Kenyon through a project assigned to her in a sophomore year art class, Art With Four Legs, taught by Professor Emeritus of Art Barry Gunderson. The assignment entailed creating a life-sized animal sculpture, and though Del Giudice described being “very intimidated by sculpture,” she chose to make a steel cow. “It was immediately terrifying, but I was also hooked” she said during the lecture, describing her first time welding. Her art focuses on different themes: rhythm and tension, strength and connection and most importantly, steel! Her sculptures are known for their reflections on cultural, environmental and emotional systems. These pieces are bold and striking, with strong red finishes or metallic coats, twisting and turning into all kinds of shapes that contrast a grassy setting or a white gallery wall. Her pieces include witty expressions, intricate mechanical contraptions and, of course, ginormous steel sculptures. 

Del Giudice presented a few of these impressive pieces on the TV: Finger Point (2020), a red, steel, pointed index finger that hangs off the wall, casting a shadow in the same shape; Show of Hands (Thumbs Down) (2020) made of aluminum, steel, PLA, hardware and motor paint; What’s The Point? (2020), a mixed media machine, aimed to make a statement about the politics of the United States at the time. These were among the various structures and works of art that we had the pleasure of discovering. 

My favorite part of the lecture was when Del Giudice thoughtfully compared her work life in Detroit to her time at Kenyon, emphasizing how she surrounds herself with fun, creative people who she connects with through her work. Thinking about how students learn and grow to make such meaningful connections, even in their life after Kenyon, is a wonderful thing to look forward to.