Celebrating Seniors through Photography
Presidential Fellow in the Arts Beowulf Sheehan portrays Colby art majors in an exhibition at the Gordon Center
The names Alayna Blier, Mallika Chari, and Lee Trombly are not as widely known as Toni Morrison, Bill T. Jones, or Ralph Fiennes. But the portraits of Blier, Chari, and Trombly—all Colby seniors majoring in arts-related fields—look and feel right at home among portraits of the world-renowned writer, choreographer, and actor.
They’re all part of the exhibition RESONANCE for the Class of 2026 in the Olentine Forum of the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts by acclaimed photographer Beowulf Sheehan, who is completing his term as Colby’s distinguished presidential fellow in the arts. In all, Sheehan is exhibiting 48 large-scale color portraits in the Gordon Center, featuring 24 images of famous writers, actors, and musicians he has photographed over his 20-plus-year career, along with 24 of Colby students majoring in the arts, all of whom he photographed since January.
In theme, content, and style, the photos of the Colby students mingle naturally with those of their better-known counterparts.
Sheehan spent his semester working with students in master classes, workshops, and the creation of new work, culminating in this exhibition that will remain on view through the end of the calendar year. From the outset of his time on campus in January, Sheehan has involved students at every stage of his fellowship and at every step in his creative process. Students worked with him as subjects, as photographic assistants, and as curators.
They learned the art and craft of photography, as well as the skills to connect with individuals on a human level, enabling a skilled photographer to make their subjects comfortable and capture more honest, revealing images.
Sheehan’s work has been published in The New Yorker, Esquire, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and other publications. His photographs have been exhibited at the Dostoevsky Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia), International Center of Photography, and Museum of the City of New York, and they are included in the permanent collections of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and elsewhere.
Sheehan, who lives in New York, was drawn to the role at Colby to share his passion for photography and the arts. For him, putting Colby students front and center was always his motivation.
“As an artist, it’s wonderful to have access to the resources of the College. But Colby’s greatest resources are its students, and no matter what our role is in supporting Colby, it is ultimately to support those students,” he said. “As a presidential fellow, I have the responsibility of acting on what skill sets I have and sharing them to inspire and embolden those students. As a photographer, what better way to do that than to photograph them?”
Deep community impact
His impact has been deep. He worked closely with students, gave multiple talks, and created tangible, lasting gifts of art. Each student he photographed received a portrait of their choice.
For students, working with Sheehan has been an inspirational experience.
“To sit for Beowulf meant being honest and open about who I am as a writer, a creative, and a person,” said Alayna Blier ’26, an English: creative writing major, and science, technology, and society minor whose portrait is part of the exhibition. “Seeing those elements of myself reflected in my portrait was validating, and placed my creativity as a part of a collective mindset at Colby that both uplifts the individual artist and creates a community of like-minded individuals. Seeing my portrait alongside professionals in the arts was inspirational.”
The exhibition is a reminder that students’ artistic endeavors do not end when they graduate, she said. “It honors what we have done as members of the artistic communities at Colby while opening the door to a future involving our creativity.”
Celia Buetens ’26, a biochemistry and studio art double major, said being photographed and seeing her portrait displayed feels validating.
“It was nice to feel recognition as an artist here at Colby, especially because I am a double major. Often, when I say that my other major is biochemistry, people view my painting major as secondary, but I don’t feel that way. Having my portrait as a painter in such a public place opened up a more public conversation about being a painting major,” she said. “It was exciting to have my acquaintances ask about painting because they saw the photo of me.”
Seeing her portrait is a reminder of her time at Colby and, she hopes, the importance of the arts to all students. “I am always telling my friends to take an art class before they graduate, and I hope they are reminded that they should,” Buetens said.
Jack Dai ’29, a math and computer science major and music minor, worked alongside Sheehan as a studio assistant on Blier’s portrait and many others. The experience was precious and meaningful, he said.
“Before our first project with Alayna, he spent about an hour explaining his equipment and photography theory to me. On set, he taught me how to work as a professional assistant. I learned a great deal about the relationship between photographer and subject by watching him work,” Dai said. “In every project, the photograph depended on careful observation, conversation, and respect for the person in front of the camera. We chose the right place to photograph based on what we learned through conversation with the subject.”
An environmental studies major, Nicole Lin ’28 met Sheehan during one of his talks and decided to get involved as an assistant. “I found the experience completely new to me,” Lin said. “There was more to consider about lighting and lenses than I had known.”
Sheehan also worked with student curators Isabella Garcia ’28 and Abby O’Kane ’29, who offered input about the selection of work, as well as its arrangement and labeling. The students heard him speak about his work, then met him by chance at Roberts during a meal.
“I’m an anthropology major with interests in contemporary theory and ideology,” Garcia said. “I wanted to get involved with the project as a curator because the arts have always been a grounding, healing space for me growing up. Having a space where I could explore that passion on campus with everyone involved in the exhibit meant a lot to me.”
Garcia enjoys landscape photography and said it has been “beyond unimaginable” to be a part of Sheehan’s creative process. “Getting to know Beowulf and the students has been one of the most inspiring and orienting experiences that I’ve had at Colby because of how personal and symbolic a role art and relationships take in my life,” she said.
Caroline Sheets ’27 is not portrayed in the display at the Gordon Center, but she sees herself in many of the portraits. She, too, served as a studio assistant and spent many hours alongside Sheehan as he helped the subject relax, sought the best lighting, and just the right angle. Seeing the result of her work feels special, she said.
“Even though I’m not in the pictures, I am behind the scenes in a lot of these,” said Sheets, a psychology major and art minor.
She wanted to work with Sheehan to learn more about the technical aspects of photography. During her time as his assistant, she learned a lot about photography and something about being human.
“Seeing how he works with people, he’s just such a kind person,” she said. “I think his kindness gets him very far, and that’s something that I’ll take away from this whole experience. For every single person he photographs, he tries to get to know them, and I think there wasn’t a single time that he didn’t make a personal connection.”
Sheehan affirmed Sheets’s observation. It’s not easy putting yourself out there, he said, but that is how he connects with people. The ability to connect has served him remarkably well, professionally and personally.
Sharing a meal
During his time at Colby, he made a point of dining on campus whenever possible. Sometimes he sat at a table with students he knew. More often, he sat among students he did not know. One time when he did that, Sheehan took a seat at a table occupied by members of the swim team and was introduced to a student named Alex.
“Alex shared with me that he had grown up in London and came to the United States at the age of 11, and as we were chatting, he also shared with me that his mother was from Germany. And I shared that mine was, as well, and then he shared that his mother was from the city of Hamburg, and I shared that mine was, as well. And that was basically it. And then, as many students have done, he sent me a LinkedIn request.”
That’s when Sheehan saw Alex’s hyphenated last name: Ruckel-Bekefi. Turns out, his mother’s oldest sister—Sheehan’s late aunt and godmother—married a Ruckel. As they exchanged messages, Sheehan and Ruckel-Bekefi realized they were cousins.
“It’s just Incredible,” Sheehan said. “When you think that we live on a planet of billions, Hamburg is a city of two million in a country of about 85 million, here we are in a country of 300 million, Colby has a population of about 2,000 students—and I just happened to have sat at that table and discovered that I have a relative I’d never met before in my life. It’s just a beautiful thing.”
And a testament to the wonderful things that can happen when you put yourself out there.
