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Written by Daniel Roland '27
Published on November 10, 2026
Art and Art History Professors Sarah Churchill and Maeve Doyle discuss the exhibition.
Geeta Thapa presents her piece "Cosmic Bloom."
Gallery visitors view "Echoes of the Circle" during its opening reception.
Eastern commnity members and artists gather for the "Echoes of the Circle" opening reception.
Gallery vistors view "Echoes of the Circle" during its opening reception.
The Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University hosted a public reception for “Echoes of the Circle: The Eastern Community Mandala” on Nov. 2. The mandala, a complex circular pattern often representing the universe, is meant to showcase unity within the Eastern community.
The exhibition is open until Dec. 4 and features the work of 18 Eastern students and staff as well as two collaborative class projects from Art and Art History Professor Soojin Kim, who curated the gallery.
“By bringing together students, faculty, and staff, I envisioned this exhibition as a space where different voices and perspectives can coexist without losing their individuality,” she said. “Each artwork offers a unique interpretation of the circle, and together they create an open, evolving conversation within our campus community.”
“Echoes of the Circle” is meant to engage viewers’ senses and prompt consideration of how art can foster understanding and connection across a community. While the pieces share a circular design, each offers a different interpretation from its creator.
“The theme of the show is a metaphor,” said Sarah Churchill, art/art history professor and Art Gallery director. A metaphor for connection, repetition, mindfulness, memory, and care, she explained.
A quote from philosopher and psychologist John Dewey is painted at the exhibit's entrance, inviting visitors to dive deeper into the art: "Art is thus prefigured in the very process of living."
The variety of mediums showcased includes oil painting, sculpture, sound, photography, and film. Several of the pieces encouraged viewers to engage in multiple senses. One such piece was a video by Art History Professor Maeve Doyle titled “Enduring Circles.”
“‘Enduring Circles’ juxtaposes ancient circular structures with the movement of the landscape around them,” said Doyle. “The juxtaposition of stillness and movement prompts meditation on other deceptive dualities – nature and human; present and past; enduring and transient.”
