Art history major Emma Dobrovich ’26 curated the second annual Art by All event, which showcased artwork by Fairfield University students, staff, and faculty members.
When Emma Dobrovich ’26 was approached about curating this year’s Art by All exhibition at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, she didn’t think twice about it. Having watched her good friend Leo McNamee ’25 curate the inaugural exhibition last year, she embraced the opportunity. “It felt like a natural continuation of conversations I’ve been having about student creativity and community engagement,” she said.
Creating an Inclusive Art Exhibition
Art by All is exactly what the name suggests: not limited to studio majors or professional artists, it creates a space for those who do not identify as “artists” to share something personal and meaningful. “What I love most is the sense of community it fosters,” Dobrovich said. “When you walk through the exhibition, you’re not just seeing art, you’re seeing your peers, your friends, and your campus reflected back at you.”
As an art history major in the Meditz College of Arts and Sciences, Dobrovich spends a lot of time studying objects in museums and thinking about who gets represented and why. She wants every voice within a community to be amplified, and her curatorial process prioritized that value. “I was attentive not just to aesthetic quality but to inclusion, storytelling, and creating a space where different mediums, identities, and experiences could coexist,” she said.
Building Technical and Emotional Intelligence
What surprised Dobrovich most about the experience was how exposed artists felt about submitting their work and projecting their inner thoughts and feelings out into the world for others to see. Their vulnerability—as well as the trust they placed in her—increased Dobrovich’s sense of responsibility as curator. “I learned that curating isn’t just about displaying works, “she said, “it’s about communication, encouragement, and helping artists feel seen.”
Dobrovich also came to appreciate the logistical side of exhibition-making, from planning and installation to scheduling.
She is grateful for the guidance and support of the following Fairfield staff and faculty:
- Lisa Thornell MFA’26, head of library outreach and communications
- Jennifer Mottolese, research and outreach librarian and interim archives coordinator
- Marice Rose ’92, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts
Embracing the Opportunity and Community
Co-sponsored by the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Arts Institute, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, and Art Club, the second annual Art by All exhibition ran from Feb. 10 to March 21, 2026. At the opening reception, Dobrovich thanked the artists for their contributions and highlighted the significance of the exhibition.
“Your willingness to share your creativity, your ideas, and often very personal parts of yourselves is what makes spaces like Art by All so special,” she said. “This exhibition exists because of you, and because you trusted this community with your work.”
She continued: “Sustaining the arts within an academic community is not just about supporting creativity but about fostering empathy, critical thinking, and honest expression. I think that Art by All stands as a testament to what happens when those values are taken seriously.”
