House offers haven for visual arts professors

As students depart from their visual arts night studios at 185 Nassau Street, they leave preoccupied by homework, tired from three hours of class and intent on stocking up on food for a long night of work. Few are aware that their professors, many of whom live in New York City, do not leave Princeton — instead, they spend the night at their home-away-from-home near the U-Store on Edwards Place.

Artists are no strangers to communal living; indeed, artist colonies are famous for fostering intense creativity and even more intense personality clashes. Though visual arts professors live together for only one night per week — the night when they teach — they also benefit from "being able to interact and mingle outside of class," sculpture professor Jim Seawright said.

Professors alternate cooking dinner, which often starts at 11 p.m. since their classes end at 10:20 p.m. Greg Drasler's night is "always special," painting professor Brian Jermusyk said, because Drasler, also a painting professor, formerly worked in the catering business and makes "gourmet treats" with "towers of fancy things."

After-dinner discussions range "from really interesting, intense art and political discourse to casual conversation," visual arts program director Eve Aschheim said. And, yes, they do talk about their students.

Since many faculty members work on their own art during the week in addition to teaching, they must commute from New York to work two consecutive days at Princeton.

Most visual arts faculty members teach either Monday night and Tuesday afternoon or Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. Since classes do not end until late in the evening, it would be "impossible" to return to New York and then come back to Princeton to teach the next day, Aschheim said.

Veronica Byun, a ceramics professor, travels once a week from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I. — a five-hour commute each way. "How many schools have the faculty united like this — having meals together, staying in the same house, really talking with each other?" Byun said.

Not only does Princeton's proximity to New York and Philadelphia help attract faculty, but the house is also "a great asset to the program," Seawright said. "You cannot stay in Princeton without a car unless you have access to a house near the campus."

While Princeton is too quiet for some New Yorkers, others enjoy staying with their colleagues without the stress of work and family. Seawright, who is originally from Mississippi, said that Princeton, "with its trees," reminds him of where he grew up and acts as a "bucolic interlude" from New York. "I think my wife is glad to get rid of me," he added.

"I considered moving here after September 11th," Aschheim said, "but I like having both. As an artist, you really need to be in New York."

When the visual arts department split from creative writing in the early 1970s, Rosalind Krauss, who was director of the program from 1972-1973, arranged for a house for commuting faculty. Though faculty members must pay rent, the University subsidizes the cost.

The first visual arts faculty house was on Bank Street, where professor emeritus of architecture Michael Graves had previously lived with his family.

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Though the University sold the house four years ago, the old Victorian house on Bank Street was "old and musty" and much smaller than the Edwards Place house.

With her recent purchases — a shower curtain from Target and a bedspread — Aschheim is "trying to beautify" the new house, hoping to add some student artwork.

The visual arts department also invites students for dinner and hosts parties in the house, including the department's Christmas party and receptions after speakers and show openings.