Exhibit To Honor Former Art Teacher

By AUDREY CHO '11, Staff Reporter

An exhibition in Deerfield's Russell Gallery beginning Thursday. May 1 will recognize and honot Daniel Hodermarsky (1924-1999), the founder of Deerfield's Art Department. Mr. Hodermarsky was hired as Deerfield's first full-time art teacher in 1969, teaching both Studio Art and Art History.

The youngest of twelve children; Hodermarsky developed a curiosity for the human figure at an early age. His art portrayed his fascination with the human body and its wide range of emotions. In his artwork, Hodermarsky attempted to depict his alter egos, illustrating representations of the strong, weak, beautiful, ugly, good, and bad.

Mr. Hodermarsky was an inspiration to all whom he taught and mentored. One of Hodermarsky's former students, Fred Bendheim `74, described him to The Greenfield Recorder as a "gregarious and inspiring man," keen and insightful in his artwork. Deerfield Alumnus Stephen Hannock '70, arrived at Deerfield as a post-graduate hockey goalie and left, due to Hodermarsky's influence, an avid painter. He is now a renowned artist with two paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collections. Hannock remarked, "Hodermarsky wasn't even my art teacher, yet his enthusiasm was so overwhelming...the entire school community was influenced by this need to create."

Further expressing his admiration of Hodermarsky in the Fall 2006 issue of the Deerfield Alumni Magazine, Hannock said, "Hodermarsky instilled in us...the idea that you could be excited by an idea to the point where you couldn't sleep."

Hannock painted his second work accepted by the Metropolitan in honor of Hodermarskv. He commented, "Dan Hodermarsky would ertainly have been honored...but he would have demonstrated this with a hearty laugh."

In honor of Hodermarsky, Deerfield will host an exhibit entitled "Figure Paintings and Deerfield Landscapes" from Thursday, May 1 until Saturday, June 14. The exhibition will feature Hodermarsky's figure paintings as well as landscapes of Deerfield.

As published in the April 23, 2008 issue of the Deerfield Scroll, the monthly newspaper of Deerfield Academy.