Wallkill Valley grad returns as guest artist to inspire a new generation

Carole Loeffler said her high school alma mater honed her skills as an artist. Recently, she returned to Wallkill Valley as a guest artist to teach the next generation.

“Going back to Wallkill for the first time in nearly 30 years was really fun,” said Loeffler, a member of the Class of 1993 who is now an associate professor and chair of the Art Department at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa. “What struck me the most was that while Wallkill was my ‘home,’ it no longer felt that way. The architecture is much the same and there are some beautiful aesthetic upgrades to the building, including the striking murals in the hall and cafeteria and the renovation of the library. It didn’t feel like it was ‘mine’ anymore.”

She said the reason she loved high school wasn’t “the infrastructure — it was the people.”

Mary Rose Potanka, an art teacher at Wallkill Valley, said Loeffler taught cyanotype, an alternative photography technique, to the students in Potanka’s photography classes. She said the cyanotype process, also known as the blueprint process, was first introduced by John Herschel (1792-1871) in 1842.

“Sir John was an astronomer trying to find a way of copying his notes,” Potanka said. “The process is to use pre-treated fabric and various materials students created to print using sunlight to expose the picture — in essence, taking a picture without a camera.”

Cyanotype produces prints in a dark greenish-blue. The word “cyan” comes from the Greek, meaning dark blue.

“I had a great experience with Mary Rose’s photography classes,” said Loeffler. “The students were making cyanotypes with text that was meaningful to them, modeled after a project I’ve been doing for the past few years. The students were open and receptive to trying out some new processes.”

Loeffler said being back at Wallkill without her favorite people there was really strange.

“My experience at Wallkill and the time spent honing my artistic voice in Mrs. Day’s classroom made me the artist I am today,” she said. “I could not be more grateful for the opportunities and experiences offered to me.”

Now, she’s happy for the opportunity to make new friends and redefine her relationship to Wallkill.

“I hope to be back again sometime soon,” she said.

Loeffler also has her own private practice as an artist. To learn more about her, visit caroleloeffler.com.