New photos of paintings appear on the corkboards in the Sage Center for the Arts every month. Most of the time, they feature obscure artists or lesser-known works by well-known painters. It’s these little-known artists and works that junior Margaret Cole, social media and graphic designer for the art honorary Alpha Rho Tau, wants students to appreciate.

Cole said she hopes that the revived “Artist of the Month” display will help students engage with the visual arts of the Western tradition by highlighting these lesser-known works. 

“I thought it would be nice to pick art that’s either obscure, to show people that they can always dig deeper into their favorite artists’ work, or by artists who are very good but not widely known,” Cole said.

This month, Cole is showcasing 19th-century Italian painter Antonio Mancini, who was born in Rome and trained from a young age at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples. His career, during which he painted working class people on the streets of Naples. 

“Antonio Mancini was one of the greatest painters of the late 19th and early 20th century,” said Chairman and Associate Professor of Art Julio Suarez. “He bridged rigorous academic drawing with impressionist seeing and a love of the material quality of oil paint.”

While Mancini was a great painter, Suarez and Cole think that he’s underrated. 

“He really isn’t that popular,” Cole said. “But one of the artists we do study, John Singer Sargent, was friends with him and thought Mancini was the greatest living artist. We’re hoping to push more people into his world, because he really was good.”

When Cole joined Alpha Rho Tau, she noticed the old “Artist of the Month” corkboard and decided to revitalize it. She started with photos of art she had taken at museums so she could highlight details or aspects of paintings people might not notice.

“I’ve thought about writing bios for the artists, but I end up running out of time,” Cole said. “Besides, there’s something to be said for letting the work speak for itself. It’s all about the visual.”

The printed copies of his portraits and urban scenes in the art building do just that. 

Cole, who grew up in Hillsdale, said she began drawing at a young age but started pursuing it seriously in a dual-enrollment drawing class with Suarez. She recommended anyone interested in art take a drawing class to gain a deeper appreciation for the craft behind the Western visual tradition.

“We have this rich Western tradition in art, and we don’t pay as much attention to that here at Hillsdale as we do to the philosophical traditions or English literature,” Cole said.

Suarez agrees. He recommends students test themselves by going to a museum, setting a timer, and simply looking at a painting for two minutes. 

“It will be 10 times longer than most people look,” Suarez said. “If you find yourself not knowing what to do for that long, it’s a sign that you need to take an art class.”

Sophomore Huba Bodor-Gosztony said he’s always excited to see the paintings when he goes into the art building.

“They always pick great artists, and I really appreciate seeing beautiful paintings,” Bodor-Gosztony said. “I haven’t been drawing for that long, but the pictures are always so inspiring.”

Freshman art major Helen Hickman said Cole’s effort to get people more interested in these paintings has worked. 

“Every time I go past I just wish I knew more about the artists,” Hickman said. “It’s so tantalizing to see these pictures because I want to learn more.”