Lara O’Brien ‘25 and Alex Plants ‘26

Olivia Harrison and attendees of the “Erda” exhibit

Curated by Sarah Lawrence senior Olivia Harrison ‘25 with the purpose of connecting visual artists with the natural world.

For most of Sarah Lawrence, Friday night plans don’t involve hanging out in the art building for two and a half hours. However, on Feb. 7th, 2025, Heimbold was buzzing with excitement and bodies as Erda, a student-run art exhibit curated by senior Olivia Harrison, commenced. Featuring works by over a dozen Sarah Lawrence students, the typically blank hallway was transformed into a lively, bustling exhibit where painting, film, photography, sculpture, music, and food melted together to create an immersive experience for the student body.

Harrison’s approach to sourcing art was slightly unconventional. In addition to plastering Open Call posters around Heimbold, she reached out to artists by walking around the building during open studios, and “placing sticky notes on the art that seemed interesting.” Multiple people responded to her, expressing their interest in participating in the show, and thus, Erda was born.

In the exhibit’s program, Harrison explained her intention of exploring humanity’s connection with nature through a range of perspectives. “I wanted to have some sort of theme to connect everything, but it wasn't really that important to me.” Harrison gestured to the exhibit. “I was advised that maybe this would be a good way to hone in the concept and the people that I'd be interested in bringing in. But I really just wanted to include as many people as I could.”

The people were certainly brought, and the overall consensus in the room was that this was a much-needed space created for students, by students, elevating community engagement and creating new opportunities for connection between artists.

The title, Erda, (an Old English word for “Earth”) reflected the fluidity of the exhibit and the relationship between the human body and nature. During the reception, Harrison walked up to the dividing post of the space and hammered a paper sign with the title into the wall, showcasing the spontaneous and creative spirit of the exhibit.

Her blue and yellow posters also evoked the Erda vision: a landscape open for interpretation. Milan Margot ‘25 comments, “It's great to see other people's pieces in conversation.” This sentiment was echoed by many peers in the room. Paintings of the naked body hung beside black-and-white photographs of the ocean. Diana Hardage ‘25 showcased her photo series, Earth Imitations, describing her works as exploring the way the human body mimics the earth. “I think that there's also a lot of that sort of thematic happening in a lot of work in the show,” said Hardage, adding, “and I think Olivia did a wonderful job, and I'm very excited and happy to be a part of it.”

Diana Hardage and Alex Plants discussing art

Erda was a multisensory experience that expanded beyond the visual arts. Between two sections of the exhibit was a large spread of Estonian cuisine: külmkapp, Estonian forest cake, spring shrimp pasta, and lavašš leib, all provided by Connor Daniels ‘25. “I had fun making this,” says Daniels. “I challenged myself. I did, because I feel like, you know, a lot of the artists were kind of doing new stuff and presenting on stuff they've never done before. I wanted to do that. I cooked food I'd never cooked before.”

Across from the table, a live performance by musicians Olorin ‘25 and Alyssa Sage further enhanced the mood of the space. Spirited conversation and the strum of guitar carried up through the exposed ceiling, luring unsuspecting Heimbold visitors into the gallery; the energy of the event was palpable from outside the building.

By the end of the night, the music slowed, the table had been nearly cleared, the sky was dark, and Harrison and her fellow artists continued to circle the space. “It's really satisfying for it to actually be happening,” Harrison said. “I'm glad that there's a good turnout and everybody's having a good time and all the food came together, and the music came together, which were really important components that I wanted to do.”

While the art, exhibit, and atmosphere were impeccable (and much needed), the real success of Erda lay in its ability to create a space for the student body to connect with each other. Due to the nature of Heimbold, it is rare to see this many mediums and artists from different backgrounds coming together; the exhibit, planted squarely in the middle of the atrium, invented a physical realm for those interested in creating and appreciating art to gather, collaborate, and celebrate the artists showcased. It transformed the art building from a place of solitary creation to one where artists, musicians, chefs, and community members could exist together.

As Erda closed, it was evident that its impact would last beyond the evening. The exhibit not only showcased a variety of voices from across the arts department but simultaneously reinforced the strength of the community within. “I love it when things are student run and I don't know, there's something less pressurizing about it than open studios… There are a lot of talented people in this school,” said Nico Birebent ‘27, an attendee of the event. Sahara Curry ‘26 agreed, echoing the importance of student-led initiatives in maintaining a strong arts community. “It's good. Beautiful. It's awesome. There's such a huge range of talent…I think there's a very, very talented diversity of ideas going on here. And I think it's interesting because…there's an obvious art community going because this is a student run thing.”

Erda was more than an exhibition; it was the beginning of a much larger conversation surrounding community involvement, student-driven events, and the importance of having physical spaces to gather and celebrate the work being done. It brought artists together in a gathering that felt both organic and long overdue, connecting artists to each other and sparking meaningful dialogue about the future of art at Sarah Lawrence. When the last painting is removed from the wall, Erda will linger, leaving us eager for more opportunities to create, celebrate, and come together as a community.

“Erda” New Art Exhibitions