By Allen Wu (V) This year, Pingry welcomes Mr. Seth Goodwin to the Visual Arts department. He teaches Clay 1, Clay 2, and Sculpture, as well as serves as the faculty advisor of the new Pingry fishing club.
Mr. Goodwin first attended Radford University, after which he moved to New Jersey and attended Kean University for his undergraduate degree. There, he graduated with a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in sculpture. Mr. Goodwin then completed his M.F.A. in Sculpture at Montclair State University.
Before joining Pingry, Mr. Goodwin had acquired teaching experience from a variety of schools. After graduating from Montclair State University, Mr. Goodwin went on to teach at Montclair State University and Kean University for 15 years. During the day, he also worked as the senior preparator for the Newark Museum, where he designed and managed the building of exhibits. For the last two years, Mr. Goodwin has taken on a similar role at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
When asked about his motivations for becoming a teacher, Mr. Goodwin said that his father was also an art teacher and served as an inspiration for him. “I think that having so many great teachers through my schooling really solidified the idea of becoming a teacher for me. Once I was half-way through my undergrad, that was it. I knew what I wanted to do.”
As for why Mr. Goodwin wanted to join Pingry, he remarked that he likes the unique opportunities that Pingry provides its students. “There are a lot of colleges out there that don’t have anything as good as this studio.” Mr. Goodwin also particularly enjoys working with the students in the studio. “The students that have been in clay for a couple of years are really eager to make things. I think they are really enjoying the process and I feed off of that.” So far, Mr. Goodwin feels that he has been “greeted with open arms” by the Pingry community.
During this school year, Pingry has faced many challenges due to the pandemic. Art classes in particular have been impacted due to their hands-on nature. “I think that especially clay is a really difficult course to teach and for students to take because it is very dependent on things in the studio,” Mr. Goodwin said. To deal with this particular challenge, he has sent kits of clay and tools home with students. Through some experimentation and resourcefulness, he found that take-home half-sized potters’ wheels work well in creating small pots.
Mr. Goodwin continues to make art outside of the classroom, primarily working on sculptures, sculptural furniture, and woodworking. Besides art, Mr. Goodwin also enjoys kayaking, mountain biking, and doing other outdoor activities with his nine-year-old son.