Combining My Love of Art With the Environment at Whitman

Growing up, I always liked art, but I never saw it as much more than a hobby. This all changed my first-year at Whitman when I signed up for a Beginning Ceramics class. I chose ceramics mostly because clay was a medium I had not had access to during high school. I knew it would be fun, but what I did not know was that it would completely reshape how I thought about art. 

On the first day of class, my professor gave each of us a lump of clay and asked us to make something that we wanted to last in the world forever. I had walked into that room ready to learn techniques about joining one piece of clay properly with another, or perhaps even how to spin clay into a cup on the wheel. Instead, I found myself paralyzed with questions about why we make art. What ideas did I want to share? What story would this lump of clay tell? 

That moment, and the semester-long class that followed, flipped a switch in me. Art was no longer something I just did; it became a way to express how I see the world. That ceramics class was all I needed to make me realize I wanted to pursue an Art major.

One of my favorite things about Whitman is that I never had to choose just one interest. I have always wanted to study science and conservation. Here, I never had to sacrifice that in order to pursue my passion for art. Instead, I was able to combine the two. I got to use art to explore and communicate the ideas that I learned in my environmental studies classes. This year, I graduated with a combined Environmental Studies-Art degree.

My art classes at Whitman consistently challenged me in the best way possible. In fact, I chose art because it pushed me. Every project developed my skills further, whether that be learning a new technique or digging deeper into my own ideas. My professors and peers consistently supported and encouraged me to think deeper.

My dedication to art also resulted in a strong community. Some of my closest friendships came from long hours spent in the studio, giving each other feedback, troubleshooting projects or just chatting while we worked. I found something so special in creating alongside other people who are equally invested as I am. That sense of community extended beyond the studio through my experience as a Garrett-Sherwood Scholar. The program gave me access to leadership opportunities, career guidance and a cohort of motivated peers who pushed me to be more intentional in my time at Whitman.

By senior year, that sense of community really came together. Each of us who were majoring in art got our own studio space, which allowed us to have the freedom to develop our own personal artistic practice, while still being surrounded by the support of our peers and professors.

Another unique part about being a senior art major at Whitman is that we get to travel together to New York City in the Fall semester. There, we spend a week visiting museums and galleries in order to think about how our own work fits into a broader art world. We also met alumni using their Whitman education in diverse and impactful ways. By the Spring semester, everything we learned culminated in our thesis: a full exhibition where each art student has their own space in a gallery and works with curators to create one cohesive and professional show.

To fulfill my Environmental Studies credits, I participated in Whitman’s Semester in the West program, where we traveled across the western United States studying human impact on water in different communities. In Semester in the West, we spent every day camping in the landscapes that we were learning about. This immersive experience allowed me to reach a deeper level of connection to my studies. Back on campus, I found that my professors held the same values of immersion in the land. I loved that all of my classes would spend time outside or visiting locals who were researching renewable energy or local marine life. I really valued being able to learn out in the field about environmental issues that related directly to the community that I am in. 

In addition to my required courses, I took a bunch of psychology classes, which led me to think about how being in and around water affects us mentally and emotionally. These learning experiences shaped my final project. For my senior thesis, I brought together almost everything I explored at Whitman. I designed and built a ceramic installation exploring the relationship between water and environmental studies and psychology. My project was featured in the professional art showcase that I mentioned above.

What I value most about Whitman is that I was never boxed into one path. I was encouraged to follow connections between my interests and end my senior year by creating something that felt entirely my own. If I could give one piece of advice to incoming students, it would be this: take classes you’re curious about, even if that doesn’t feel connected to your future goals. You never know which classes or professors might completely change your direction. Studying art here hasn’t just made me a better artist. It has changed how I see the world. I pay more attention to details, think more creatively about solving problems, and am more confident in exploring new interdisciplinary ideas. These are skills I will carry with me no matter what career I pursue next. It all started with one class, one professor and one assignment.

Cambria Bartlett ’26 (she/her) is a recent grad from La Honda, California. At Whitman, she was a Garrett-Sherwood Scholar and earned her Environmental Studies-Art degree. She loves going on adventures and trying new things. In her last few weeks at Whitman, she trained for her first triathlon, which took place the weekend before graduation!