Massachusetts College of Art and Design - Palette and Pen Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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joys and problems of teaching, and some the thrills and headaches of layout and advertising. The class was again cut in size when the junior Graphic Arts and Costume Design divisions were incorporated into the senior class and many of our classmates finished a year ahead of us. Now as seniors, we are barely over a score in number. The teacher trainers have learned how to correlate with the social sciences; and the designers have not only mastered the problem of applying a flat wash, but have demonstrated professional ability in design achieve- ment. We realize now that the future art of America is dependent upon the right art education and the close cooperation of art and industry. This future is partly in our hands and in the hands of those of you who are now freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. It is our opportunity and our responsibility. We of the class of ' 44 have been able to continue our education through three years of a war that has affected us deeply. We have the faith and assurance that the chaos of the world into which we are graduating is beginning to clear. We have been cut in size, but not in spirit. As we think back upon our years as undergraduates, we wish that those other members of our entering class could be with us now. We wish that they could share the thrill of triumph and accom- plishment we feel as the senior year draws to a close. Let us keep this spirit of ambition and confidence as we meet a new challenge . . . greater, but somehow similar to the one we met In the fall of 1940. VIRGINIA CARTER 5

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The fall of 1940 held the brightest hopes for those of us who formed the class of ’44. Eagerness for achievement in our chosen field seemed more important than the oppressing threat of war. Those were the glorious days of clay fights, frequent rest periods, sketching in the Fenway on bright mornings, and the hearty laughter of male students. Remember? We held lengthy and heated discussions on the election and the draft situation, — and we received formal introduction to the mysteries of plumb lines and vanishing points. We were typical freshmen, — enthusiastic, eager, and . . . green as they grow. We were sophomores when the shadow of December seventh marked a change in the pattern of our school careers. We turned toward our work with a more serious attitude. We found time to give our service in Red Cross work and air raid duty, as well as participating in war activity at school. The armed forces and the opportunity for war jobs drained our class of a third of its membership. The rest of us met many new and exciting experiences that year . . . there were life classes and structural design, ceramics and block printing. With hammer and chisel, we attacked huge blocks of plaster, and Lo and Behold! ... a three dimensional abstract representing “Melancholy” or the “Song of the Thrush at Sunrise”. We struggled with coil-built dishes and conte crayon techniques . . . and were even progressing a little in our perpetual struggle to apply a flat wash. Our junior year confronted us with the task of carrying out our choice of a course. That was the year we specialized. Some of us learned the

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OF THE SCHOOL ART EDUCATION As prospective educators, it is our privilege to guide children in the field of creative expression ... to broaden and deepen their experience and apprecia- tion, and to help them become creatively intelligent individuals and constructive citizens. We are proud of our opportunity, — for we, too, are part of the fight for freedom of expression. JACQUELIN SAUNDERS GENERAL DESIGN The all-female design department has produced air brush and textile designs as fine as any on the market today. We hold an optimistic view of a bright future in the design field. Thus far our one obstacle seems to be a little insect called a silverfish who has a fondness for the black tempera in the designs hanging on the wall. KATHLEEN WAINWRIGHT GRAPHIC ARTS Ours is a course of new experiences . . . wobbly ven- tures into the fascination of oil painting, the excitement of etching and lithography, and the fun of roaming through the city making sketches in watercolor. Filled with ambition and individuality, we strive to create that which is truly “fine” art. PHYLLIS TOCK