{"id":927,"date":"2011-04-21T18:08:59","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T18:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/community\/?p=927"},"modified":"2022-09-26T11:04:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T15:04:30","slug":"for-the-love-of-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2011\/04\/21\/for-the-love-of-art\/","title":{"rendered":"For the Love of Art"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"photo<\/a>

Sally Struthers \u201981 showcased her photos of ancient Greece and Rome in the solo exhibition, Legendary Places: Photographs by Sally A. Struthers, in Wright State University\u2019s Student Union Art Gallery.<\/p><\/div>\n

When Sally Struthers came to Wright State University in 1977 as a first-year student, she had never even heard of the field of art history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no idea what I was going to major in,\u201d Struthers recalled. She thought about studying pre-law or becoming a math teacher.<\/p>\n

That would all change when she enrolled in an art history course her first quarter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew then that I would go on to get my Ph.D. and teach art history in college,\u201d said Struthers, who has been introducing Sinclair Community College students to the world of art since 1987.<\/p>\n

Currently a professor of art history, Struthers has also served as chair of the art department, dean of fine and performing arts, and dean of liberal arts, communication, and social sciences at Sinclair.<\/p>\n

Her passion for the arts is something she hopes to pass along to her students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more to a class than just the facts,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to impart to them a love of learning and a love of other cultures\u2014and a desire for them to find out more on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Struthers also encourages her students to travel. A first-generation college student, Struthers had limited travel experience when she entered Wright State.<\/p>\n

A Classics Club field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago for the Philip of Macedon exhibition was an eye-opening experience for Struthers. She also participated in the Department of Art and Art History\u2019s expedition to New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my first trip to New York City,\u201d she said. \u201cGoing into the Met and the Museum of Modern Art was just life changing. I really knew I wanted to be an art historian and work with cultural artifacts after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Struthers\u2019 love for photography was also born during her days at Wright State. Photography was a required course for art history majors, but Struthers was so intimidated by the technical elements of photography\u2014including the chemicals used in film developing\u2014that she waited until the final quarter of her senior year to take the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found out I really loved it and wished I would have taken it sooner,\u201d she said. Photography has been a passion for Struthers ever since.<\/p>\n

Ancient civilizations are one of her favorite subjects. \u201cEver since I was a small child, I loved Greek and Roman mythology,\u201d she explained. \u201cI love reading the stories of the gods and heroes.\u201d This fascination led to Struthers\u2019 second major at Wright State\u2014classics.<\/p>\n

After graduating from Wright State in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in art history and classics, Struthers earned a master\u2019s degree and Ph.D. in art history from The Ohio State University.<\/p>\n

While studying for her doctorate, Struthers\u2019 primary area of focus was the Italian Renaissance followed by the classical art of Greece and Rome and the Baroque period.<\/p>\n

Struthers has visited Italy five times and Greece twice. \u201cEvery time I go, I shoot hundreds of photographs,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I normally shoot are the temples that are related to Greek and Roman mythology, the architecture, and sometimes the sculpture. Nearly everything has some meaning or some myth behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Struthers prides herself on scouting around for the best possible vantage point. \u201cIf that means climbing 526 steps to get to the top of a dome of a cathedral so I can get aerial shots, I\u2019ll climb it,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a strategy that can sometimes get her into trouble. \u201cYou\u2019re not allowed to lie down on the floor of the Sistine Chapel. The guards will tell you to get back up, but that\u2019s the best way to photograph the ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Struthers travels with her husband, Ned Young, whom she met in English 111 on her first day of classes at Wright State, and their 14-year-old son, Anthony.<\/p>\n

Her work has been showcased in more than 30 exhibitions in Ohio and Indiana, including 13 solo shows.<\/p>\n

Her lifelong fascination with ancient cultures was rewarded with the ultimate dream job\u2014serving as a guest curator for the Dayton Art Institute\u2019s exhibition, The Roman World: Religions and Everyday Life<\/em>, in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably the highlight of my career,\u201d said Struthers. Some of her photographs of ancient Rome were included in the exhibition.<\/p>\n

Over the years, Struthers has maintained a strong connection to Wright State. She served on the College of Liberal Arts Dean\u2019s Advisory Committee from 2001 to 2008. She received the University Honors Program\u2019s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2003 and the Department of Art and Art History\u2019s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2004.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always sort of kept my foot over here, because I do love the place,\u201d she said. \u201cWright State opened up a lot of doors for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t