First, envision the most beautiful day of April.
Second, imagine remarkable gardens and fragrant blossoms.
Third, enthrall at marvelous student artwork.
Finally, relish enjoying Carlino’s tomato pie and every possible cookie and brownie from Whole Foods.
Now, let me take you to The Francis M. Maguire Museum, the right ventricle of the heart of Hawk Hill.
Sixty-five students and their professors made their way to the front steps to pose for a photo to record the special day for history.
On Wednesday, April 15, SJU students assembled on the fabled steps of The Frances M. Maguire Museum in Merion to enjoy the fruits of their academic labor. (Photo submitted by Mary Brown)
Dr. Maria Marsilio, Dr. Konstantinos Nikoloutsos, Madison Dalton, M.A., and I savored every moment with our students.
After a delicious lunch, students went off to explore the gardens of The Barnes Arboretum in search of their favorite botanical.
This search resulted in posting photos of the botanicals and their corresponding tags with the Greek and Latin naming system of genus and species plus customized names.
Hekenu, one of the Latin students, created an Instagram account titled “sjulatinandgreekbotanicals2026” so we could all re-enjoy the beauty of the Barnes Arboretum in class during the anticipated upcoming chilly weather.
And that’s not all, students roamed the Arboretum and discovered botanicals – roses, lilacs, ferns, monkey puzzle trees, and many others — and enjoyed the natural lightness of the plant world, a reprieve from the day-to-day.
Lucky us! The SJU Senior Capstone Project, “Metamorphosis: Echoes of Process,” at The Frances M. Maguire Museum drew us into the artwork of twelve students, remarkable.
A little background, the Augustan poet Publius Ovidius Naso presented to the known world of antiquity his 15 Books of hexameters titled “Metamorphoses,” in which he documented dramatic changes in mortals inter alia.
Most visitors to The Maguire Museum will be familiar with the stories of the maiden Arachne turned into a spider and the nymph Daphne transformed into a laurel tree.
Ovid’s narrative poem is centered on physical and emotional transformations, presenting over 250 myths from the creation of the world to the deification of Julius Caesar.
Themes include changes in identity, the destructive capability of love, divine power and retribution, human pride and egocentricity, and the inevitability of change.
Through the process called reception, the current senior thesis exhibit at the former Barnes Museum on the SJU Merion Campus explores various themes.
Presented at the Opening Reception on Thursday, April 9, were Gianna Addesso, Skylar Alexander, Alex DiGiacomo, Callista Freeman, Lillian Hill, Sahr Karimu, Bladimir Lemus, Max Lyons, James Miller, Sev Mize, Mary Beth Williams, and Tess Wosczyna.
The exhibit titled “Metamorphosis: Echoes of Process” showcases the culmination of a year-long senior capstone course, where these twelve students reflected on their explorations through diverse artistic disciplines.
During their study at SJU, they have explored their interests across art history, graphic design, photography, ceramics, painting, and illustration.
Through hands-on studio work and critical thinking exercises, they have been challenged to express themselves in new media and respond to artistic concepts, merging creativity with industry-informed practice.
The painting ‘Creatrix’ by SJU Senior Gianna Addesso consists of acrylic paint on canvas and extraordinary imagination. (Photo submitted by Mary Brown)
For instance, Callista Freeman states, “In my life, being creative was something that was gifted to me by my mother.
“I always had my hands on little arts and crafts growing up because my mom was always into doing little DIY projects at home.
“However, illustration, telling stories, and engaging people visually through drawings and speech that directs the narrative really piqued my interest.
“My project consists of a print graphic novel and a digital version of my five years at SJU, along with all of the times I spent away from school and off campus.”
Lillian Hill and her companion poem for consideration,
“Look at me like you love me, Lilly,
I say,
Look at you the way I see you,
You see the scars,
You see the flaws,
Your hand draws
The body you deemed unworthy of celebration,
But, Christ says that “you are My creation.”
Look at me like you love me, Lilly,
You hair fro’s and grows towards the sun,
It twines and coils and curls,
But pretty little girl,
You are made in His image.
See you the way He sees you.
There is beauty in completion, but first, there must be incompletion.
This canvas is your mirror,
So look at me like you love me, Lilly.”
On April 15, we all enriched ourselves in so many ways, as good as it gets, one might say, and a day in the life at Hawk Hill’s James J. Maguire Campus in Merion.
Many any other fascinating and stunning student works abide at The Maguire Museum until May 17 and, of course, Praise God, the Arboretum is forever.
Mary Brown, a weekly columnist for Main Line Media News, teaches an interdisciplinary approach to Classical Latin at Saint Joseph’s University.