Bringing a legacy back to life: Cy Sloane exhibit begins at Saint Michael’s on Sept. 6

Cyril “Cy” Sloane, the first art professor at Saint Michael’s College, poses with an Egyptian statue in this undated photo. (Photo courtesy Saint Michael’s College Archives)

A new art exhibit at Saint Michael’s College’s McCarthy Art Gallery will honor the work of the first art professor on campus, Cyril “Cy” Sloane.  

Sloane came to Saint Michael’s in the 1950s, and he served as a professor until 1978. After that, he was honored with the title of Professor Emeritus and continued his association with the College until his death in 1989.  

Many of his works remain in the Archives in the basement of Durick Library at the College, and the current campus art building – Sloane Hall – is named for the late professor. Jessica Engels ’81 of Duxbury, the daughter of former English professor John Engels, is curating the exhibit, which is scheduled to run from Sept. 6 to Sept. 20. The gallery will host a reception on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. 

As part of her research, Engels reconnected with students of Sloane’s, and she includes a reflection from one in the exhibition program. Terry O’Brien ’72, who says he dedicated his life to art because of Sloane’s influence, also contributed three original paintings of Sloane’s for the exhibit.  

O’Brien’s reflection, in part, recalls his first class with Sloane in January 1969: 

 “Never having had much exposure to art, I’d heard it was an easy class.  That first session, Cy had arranged some typical still life objects around the room (bottles, apples, cups, etc.). This was an evening class with strong artificial light. As I looked quizzically at the motif, I noticed a sharp shadow cast on the tabletop by the bottle. As I scratched away with charcoal on paper, time took on another dimension. What seemed to be five minutes was two hours. Class over, I went out into the frigid and clear Vermont night. After a few steps towards the main campus, I saw a streetlight with a shadow that traversed the street. The connection between real life and still life began to fall into place. That streetlight, that class, and those shadows changed my life. Thanks to Cy and his inspiration, I, and doubtless countless others, had my mind and eyes opened, and led me to dedicating my life to the pursuit of Art.”  

While Engels was not an Art major (she majored in Music and minored in English), she said it was reflections like O’Brien’s that inspired the Cy Sloane Retrospective exhibit. She recently spoke with Saint Michael’s College’s Office of Marketing and Communications about the exhibit and her passion for Saint Michael’s. Her remarks have been lightly edited for length.    

Saint Michael’s College’s first art professor Cyril “Cy” Sloane instructs a pupil while she is working on a painting.(Photo courtesy Saint Michael’s College Archives)

Saint Michael’s College: What prompted your interest in Cy Sloane?  

Jessica Engels ’81: I got together with a couple of friends from Saint Michael’s, and we had a discussion about artistic legacy, in the sense of the long-lasting impact of their work. After my father died, the College honored him with the John Engels Memorial poetry reading for several years, with well-known poets like Ellen Bryant Voight and Syd Lea. Those readings were eventually replaced with a poetry and prose awards ceremony linked with the Onion River Review launch, as students graduated and faculty who knew him moved on. So now, he’s not well-remembered for the work that he did. Similarly, Sloane’s legacy has faded.  

Jessica Engels ’81 is curating the Cy Sloane Retrospective in the McCarthy Art Gallery. (Photo courtesy Jessica Engel)

So, in talking about this, Terry O’Brien said, “I was a student of Cy’s, and he inspired me to become an artist myself.” This was in July of 2023, and he said, “I think that the College should put on an exhibit of his work and get some of those pieces out of the archives and up on the walls at Saint Michael’s, because he deserves to be remembered. He was a great artist. He inspired his students, and many other students have gone on to be professional artists.” 

I reached out to Brian Collier, head of the Art Department, and Liz Scott, the College’s archivist, to talk about this possibility, and they agreed. I’ve been in and out of the archives a lot in the past six months.  

Walking around campus, you will notice an enormous portrait of Father Alliot in Alliot Hall painted by Cy. Everyone is aware of it, but they probably don’t know who it is or who painted it. Also, the Sloane building over on North Campus is named after him, and it’s time to bring him to people’s attention again. 

SMC: Did you ever have Cy as a professor or interact with him while you were a student at St. Mike’s?  

J.E.: I was a student after he retired, but I knew him because he lived on campus, and he knew my father quite well. I would see and greet him as he walked around campus. He had an apartment in [what’s now known as] Sloane Hall until he died in 1989. 

SMC: What was it like for you to create this retrospective and curate this exhibit?  

J.E.: I started working on the project in February 2024. First, there was joy in having been allowed to create the show. I spent several hours in the archives, just looking at his work and seeing this tremendous variety, from charcoal sketches to ink drawings and pastels and oil paintings, and especially the watercolors. I became excited about the possibilities, and, knowing the limited number of paintings that could be shown, wanted to focus on it as a retrospective with a variety of subject matter. 

Just being back at Saint Michael’s, my home, and spending time at McCarthy has been wonderful. It’s such a beautiful place, and if I can add some art to it and share with people what I’ve learned, that’s great. 

SMC: You mentioned selecting the right pieces because you have a limited amount of space. What went into those decisions, and what will be part of the exhibit?  

Painting by Saint Michael’s College’s first art professor Cyril “Cy” Sloane. (Photo courtesy Saint Michael’s College Archives)

J.E.: His favorite studies, and the most numerous of his paintings, were of the lime kiln. I don’t know if that building is still there, but it was on Lime Kiln Road near campus. He really liked architectural works. 

When you see the show, you’ll notice that many of the paintings are gridded out, and I love the way that looks. The colors are rather muted, so I also chose some paintings which are just beautiful, bright colors and very Vermont-oriented. One of the lime kiln paintings mentioned in the catalog shows Camel’s Hump in the background. Another of my favorite works shows the view from the beach at the bottom of Lake Willoughby with Mount Pisgah in the background. That’s up in the Northeast Kingdom. 

I kind of had to go by size, to some degree. There were many paintings that weren’t framed but are available for people to view in the archives.  

There are some pictures of waterfronts, boats, oceansides, and similar subjects. The one portrait in the show, of the nude, is also the postcard for the show. 

SMC: While researching Cy Sloane and pulling this exhibit together, looking at his artwork, was there anything about him or his artwork that surprised you? 

J.E.: This might be something that anyone who’s an artist would notice. Many of his earlier works are studies of masterworks. There are perhaps 50 of quick sketches of figures that capture the movement of the models. I just love that. 

SMC: Interesting. It seems like he was a student all the way through. 

J.E.: Oh, yes. He worked with some rather well-known painters in New York in the ’30s.  He started out at an ad agency, going to art classes at night, and creating his own style. 

SMC: What have you found meaningful about this process, especially as an alum of Saint Michael’s?  

J.E.: I feel passionately about restoring his legacy.  Brian Collier and Will Mentor of the Art Department and the archivist Liz Scott have been crucial in making this happen. I feel confident that we’re going to bring his story back to life. Just being back at Saint Michael’s, my home, and spending time at McCarthy has been wonderful. It’s such a beautiful place, and if I can add some art to it and share with people what I’ve learned, that’s great. 

A painting by Cy Sloane showing Lake Willoughby in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. (Photo courtesy Jessica Engels)

SMC: What do you see as Cy Sloane’s impact or legacy, especially at Saint Michael’s College?  

J.E.: His legacy must be revitalized. I don’t know how else to put that. Like I said, I experienced it quite personally with my father. I think people who do great work should be remembered and honored. That’s the point of this exhibit. 

SMC: What do you hope people will take from this exhibit – not just people who are connected with St. Mike’s, but members of the public as well?  

J.E.: My hope is that people will tell other people to come see the work that he’s done and that maybe there will be recognition of his talent outside of Saint Michael’s. 

More information about the Cy Sloane Retrospective exhibit can be found on the McCarthy Art Gallery website here. >>