The Haven Magazine Spring 2018

monetary support. Bill owned our
work. We became lifelong friends in
the bargain.”
Herrmann said Foster’s standards
were incredibly high for his
students, and he didn’t offer many
compliments. “Bill was so sharp and
sensitive and didn’t sugar coat his
opinions — if he said something was
good, or chuckled to himself, you
knew you might be on to something
good,” he said. “As an artist, that is
invaluable. His greatest compliment
was, ‘you know, that isn’t half bad.’”
“Transformations” represented
three different generations of creative
undertaking, Svec said. His hope for
the exhibit was that viewers would,
“get an idea of the creative evolution
of three people interconnected by
education and physical proximity.”
Several art students in Associate
Professor, Vance McCoy and
Professor, Jason Bronner’s classes
had an opportunity to view the
exhibit and learn about the art.
Bronner said he could see threads
and connections between the pieces
and the ways Foster influenced Svec
and Herrmann’s art. “I hope the
students can see the relationships
and can appreciate them,” Bronner
said. “This also introduces them
to two artists who make a living as
artists. It provides them with living
role models outside the university
system.”
Herrmann said there were two
main factors that played a role in his
decision to continue to be an artist
and those were the exchanges he
took through LHU. “First to Madrid
and much of Europe. The second
exchange through LHU was to
Kemerovo in Siberia, Russia,” he
said. “Studying and living abroad
at 21 and 22 was mind blowing and
exactly what I was searching for and
needed.”
Herrmann was commissioned in
2016 by LHU to create two large
canvases for the newly renovated
Ulmer Hall. Svec, who served as the
LHU 2018 spring commencement
speaker, created a presidential
podium, which was unveiled during
the Business Hall of Fame luncheon
in March.
LHU professor, Jason Bronner, talks to his students about the art during the “Transformations” exhibit at Arthaus
Projects in Williamsport.
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY THE HAVEN SPRING 2018
7