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thirsty while drowning

A campus-wide exhibition by conceptual artist Cole Sternberg ’01 VSB focuses on environmental sustainability

paintings from the thirsty while drowning exhibition are on display at the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ University Art Gallery
PHOTO: VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY/JOHN SHETRON

Conceptual artist Cole Sternberg ’01 VSB literally worked with nature to create the 15 paintings he exhibited in the newly renovated ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ University Art Gallery from Nov. 3, 2022 to Jan. 18, 2023. Each work in thirsty while drowning was exposed to the elements (left in wind, rain and dragged through large bodies of water) to reveal nature’s own patterns.

Sternberg’s multimedia exhibition extended beyond the Connelly Center, with massive murals sprawling across Vasey Hall, Bartley Hall and the Jake Nevin Field House (see below). His hope was that this visual commentary on sustainability would enhance ongoing dialogue about the environment within the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ community.

Cole Sternberg mural Vasey Hall
Cole Sternberg mural VSB
a massive photographic mural in the arched windows on Jake Nevin Field House
PHOTOS: COLE STERNBERG

A massive photographic mural ripples across the arched windows on Jake Nevin Field House. It’s part of thirsty while drowning—a first-of-its-kind campus-wide art exhibition at ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥. Captured on his 22-day voyage across the Pacific Ocean, these images by Sternberg invited passersby to immerse themselves in the serene seascape and to explore more of his works on display in the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ University Art Gallery.

Female student looking at artwork
Cole Sternberg giving a talk about artwork in the Art Gallery
PHOTOS: VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY/JOHN SHETRON

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