It is such a pleasure to see Ethan LeBlanc receive the Presidential Award for Visual Arts this year. When the faculty convened to discuss the possible nominations, everyone at the table almost simultaneously said "Ethan." It is the one time I can remember that the decision was unanimous without question!!

Ethan has been a fantastic part of the Visual Arts program for the entire four years he has been at NOCCA. He has always been a leader among his peers. When we asked some of the upper level students to help in some of the Level I critiques, Ethan was always one of the first to volunteer. He is always willing to help with projects that come along and has done some beautiful work for those organizations.

I have been particularly impressed with how Ethan's curiosity has taken him along many different visual arts paths. He has become an amazing painter and has recently taught himself to expertly work in watercolor. Ethan made some beautiful work in printmaking pushing the boundaries in many ways. And now he is jumping with both feet into photography. I will be excited to see Ethan in 4-5 years with a degree in Architecture in hand. Ethan's intelligence and eagerness to learn and stretch will benefit him in years to come. We, the faculty in Visual Arts, are grateful to have shared in his creative journey.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Ethan Leblanc grow as an artist and as a photographer. He started out interested in photography, showing a lot of promise as he moved through each step more and more adeptly. Ethan’s sense of humor, albeit somewhat cocky in the beginning, was evident even in his early work! But as he began to spend more time with the medium, giving over to the curiosity of unusual processes and the final crafting of the finished pieces, a seriousness of purpose began to take root. His craftsmanship and vision also expanded.

He also started to step in to my classes to assist when I worked with younger students. He stayed after school to work in the lab repeatedly honing his skills, asking questions, having conversations. These conversations were about the environment, about life, about practicing artists, about exhibitions we both saw, about everything he was seeing and taking in. These in person moments are and were special, especially in light of the present, as we are all socially restricted from being together in our collective studios of learning and practice.

When we all dispersed, during this unusual period in NOCCA’s history, sheltering in place, Ethan was the first to post photography work already underway. He was focused in more ways than one. He had set up his own digital studio and darkroom at home, offering to assist others in processing and scanning their work, sharing his time and resources (for a small fee). LOL. His home has become a hub of sorts- (via mail) and his humor is such a lift, now especially.

Congratulations Ethan…may your future continue to glow as brightly as your present, like a candle in the darkness, or an enlarger in a darkroom. Thank you for seeing the light, and sharing it with others in so many ways!

Michel Varisco

Visual Arts - Photography