Written by Jack Miller
Two weeks ago, retired Roanoke College John P. Fishwick Professor of English Dr. Robert Schultz returned to campus to lead a gallery talk and walking tour of some of his works currently featured in Fintel Library. Schultz taught at RC from 2004 through his retirement back in 2018. He is the author of six books and an exhibiting artist, has received a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Award in Fiction, the Virginia Quarterly Review’s Emily Clark Balch Prize for Poetry, and Cornell University’s Corson Bishop Poetry Prize.
During the opening event, which took place at 1:30 on Oct. 8, Schultz opened by explaining some of the pieces that are being held on the first floor of Fintel Library. Many of these pieces are sketches of different notable or unknown individuals on leaves. Walt Whitman is featured on a couple of these leaves, in different poses and different periods during his life. Another piece, titled Unidentified VMI Cadet, is printed on a Hosta leaf. Students were captivated by these pieces and the beauty and uniqueness that the image captured due to its printing on the leaf. These prints were not simply ink on leaf; instead, Dr. Schultz used a mixture of chlorophyll print and resin to make the images stand out from the leaf while also making the entire piece feel natural.
Alongside these leaf prints are other pieces from Schultz’s repertoire of art works. One piece that especially stood out is Thoreau at the Railway Embankment, which contains poetry written in Schultz’s handwriting alongside of dried leaves and flowers.
“The flowers lying alongside this poem really put in contrast the things being presented in the poem and the beauty of nature itself,” said junior Jordan Hanson..
Schultz has written many collections of poetry, including Vein Along the Fault and Winter in Eden. He has also published a book of poetry, photography, and comments on the U.S. Civil War titled Memoranda: Photography, Walt Whitman, and Memorials, co-authored by Binh Danh. Photographs as well as poetry of Schultz’s are held by the Library of Congress, the University of Virginia, and many private collectors.
Schultz’s artwork and poetry are open for viewing by the public and will remain on the ground floor of Fintel Library until December 2019.
