Student Painting Honors Habitat for Humanity Trip
From Mike Ward, Student Center: When Shawn Huckins ‘05 was asked to create a painting for the Student Center, he suggested a topic important to him as a developing student — the impact that the 2005 Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Guatemala had on him. Each January, the Community Service Office of the Young Student Center organizes an international service trip. Over the past five years, the team has built eleven small cinderblock homes in the village of Rabinal in the province of Baja Verapaz, well north of the capital city.
The 48” x 32” acrylic-and-pen painting depicts a Keene State student approaching a famous landmark arch in the ancient capital city of Antigua, Guatemala. His description of the painting follows:
“It’s all about taking that first step — the step into volunteerism, the step into culture, the step into a world that doesn’t closely resemble ours. The painting, “Antigua Street,” represents one of my steps into a new kind of world that I could not have imagined simply by reading a book or viewing a picture. On a KSC Student Center-sponsored Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Guatemala, I had the privilege of helping families find new lives for themselves. Our team worked side by side with the families, helping them build their own homes.
“The unforgettable looks on these families’ faces, filled with such gratitude and joy, were matched by the members of our Keene State team, who had shared a truly magnificent voyage. And it all began with one step.”
Shawn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art at KSC in 2008 with magna cum laude honors. His work has appeared in galleries in New York and Connecticut. He has won the Award for Excellence in the 2007 Ridgefield Guild of Artists 30th Annual Exhibition, the New Haven Paint and Clay Club Prize, and the Thorne-Sagendorph Student Exhibition People’s Choice Award, as well as the Thorne’s Biennial Regional Juror’s Choice Award.
Commissioning a KSC grad to create art for the Student Center allows us to recognize the talents of our students and to give them a step up in their professional lives. We hope that this painting will serve as a thought-provoking piece that will inspire the next generation of involved KSC students. Please come take a look at Shawn’s work outside our offices on the third floor of the Student Center.
Photo: Annie Card
Shawn Huckins ‘05 poses beside the painting he was commissioned to create for the administrative offices in the Student Center.
