At the beginning of school each year, we have the opportunity to hear from faculty who were awarded sabbaticals or significant professional development opportunities. There were three such presentations this year from Kevin Arnfield, Rick DaSilva '89, and Mark Howland.
Kevin Arnfield, Ceramics/Art History
Kevin experienced the joys and frustrations of building a wood-fired kiln on his property. After dealing with the permitting process, which took much longer than he expected and almost thwarted the whole project due to some newly discovered wetlands, he faced his own imperative vision and found the determination to see the project through. Kevin envisioned his kiln in a location where nature surrounded the experience of creating unique and permanent art forms through the use of fire. It was not just the kiln that motivated him, but an experience of community and nature and creation that drove him on to carrying buckets of concrete by hand hundreds of feet into the woods behind his home, and every single brick and piece of the structure. I was inspired by his strength, both physical and mental, when I imagined a truck full of brick having to be unloaded in his yard and its weighty cargo being carried by hand down the long path to his ideal site. I was also delighted to learn of the many alumni and faculty who helped him to realize his vision. I can’t wait for the students to experience the happening of firing this amazing and beautiful kiln. For more information about what a wood fired kiln can do versus the gas or electric kilns we have in the studio, please be sure to ask Kevin. He would be happy to give you a chemistry lesson!
Rick DaSilva ’89, History
Rick travelled to Japan for a month this summer as part of a yearlong study of Japanese history and culture, which he is undertaking in his spare time. Rick was featured in our alumni magazine, Tabor Today, so I will not get into more details of his trip, only the passion and impact of his presentation. Firstly, Rick is a fantastic photographer and his pictures showed his enthusiasm for the unique places he visited and piqued an interest in the world and new cultures in all of us. Next, he described the people he met with such compassion and kindness, from those recovering from the disaster at Fukishima to the business people and everyone in between. It seems the purposes of the Fulbright program to build cultural understanding, and advocates of cultural heritage, were not lost on Rick. It is wonderful to contemplate all the many ways he will enrich our students learning and our community as a whole with his love and knowledge of history, and his in depth understanding of Japanese culture.
Mark Howland, English
Mark shared with me that he had intended initially to get an MFA in creative writing when he came up for sabbatical, but in the end, the experiences he created on his own were of much greater value to him. Mark put himself squarely out of his usual comfortable life, one most of us share, into four main endeavors, two of which required extensive training. He began with tutoring the homeless in New Bedford. Then after his training, he added his work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, gathering information on foster children to advocate to a judge on their behalf for permanent placement, and getting a glimpse into the very difficult world many families and children find themselves in all over America. In these posts, he learned that he could not judge others based on his own background and belief system, and gained new appreciation for his own privilege. He also worked as a hospice volunteer where he learned that patience, kindness and being present are gifts not only to someone in need, but also to one’s self. Finally, he worked at a local winery learning a few sales & marketing skills in a beautiful location. Through all these experiences, he affirmed his true love of his own profession and the powerful impact it has on our world. He literally brought us to tears with his stories and life lessons.
While all these presentations were informative and interesting, what was most inspiring to me were their pure examples of rigorous life-long learning. Thanks to Kevin, Rick and Mark for such a valuable lesson!
