Diversity in UNE’s pharmacy and dental schools reflected through artwork

In a partnership with the Portland Campus Art Gallery and Special Collections, several loaned works are now on display at the UNE College of Pharmacy and College of Dental Medicine. These pieces represent a wide range of styles and cultures, reflecting the diverse student bodies in both colleges.

The Art Gallery has recently loaned the College of Pharmacy a diptych painted by contemporary artist Robert Freeman, an African American artist based in New York. Freeman is known for his lively, figurative paintings of nightlife, music and the vibrancy of African American culture. As seen in the diptych, now hanging on the first floor of the college, the work features bright, bold colors and Freeman’s characteristic large brushstrokes that make the painting look almost abstract when viewed up close.

In the College of Dental Medicine’s Oral Health Center, there are a number of loaned works on display by Cuban-born artist Emilio Sanchez. A Modernist painter and printer, Sanchez traveled extensively to the US, Mexico, Europe and Africa in his youth, where he was influenced by various international sources and aesthetics. He lived in New York later in his life, and his work became known for its architectural themes, boldness and color. 

The Special Collections department has also loaned two African masks from the Jacques Downs collection to Goddard Hall, reflecting the campus-wide interest in global art and culture.

“The missions of both the College of Pharmacy and the College of Dental Medicine include a focus on diversity,” said Amanda Skinner, art gallery manager on the Portland Campus. “The works on loan, particularly those by Freeman and Sanchez, are meant to visually represent this focus.” 

At the College of Dental Medicine, where 73% of students are not from Maine, and 52% of Maine students are from outside of Cumberland and York counties, inclusivity and cultural diversity are central to the college.

“Our program cultivates a humanistic environment by fostering diversity and inclusion of all faculty, students, staff and patients,” said Jon Ryder, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the College of Dental Medicine. “We believe the art in the Oral Health Center should reflect that diversity and create a welcoming environment for everyone as well as engender awareness of different cultures.”

Jean Woodward, associate dean of Student Services and Faculty Development in the College of Pharmacy echoed these statements. “The College of Pharmacy appreciates the perspectives brought to our University and service communities from our diverse student body, a student body with variations in gender, race, and religion, and hometowns that range from urban, to rural, to international. This diversity facilitates the development of perspective-taking and other cultural competencies in our student pharmacists who eventually will practice in diverse communities across these United States.” 

To learn more about the University of New England’s College of Dental Medicine, visit www.une.edu/dentalmedicine

To learn more about the University of New England’s College of Pharmacy, visit www.une.edu/pharmacy

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions