Tara I. Lewis

Biography

Ms. Lewis  began her career at Exeter in 2002 and is currently the Clowes Chair in Art and chair of the Art Department. She has taught painting, drawing, 3-D design, printmaking and photography at all levels, working closely with advanced students on portfolio creation. At Exeter, she was honored with the Charles E. Ryberg ’63 Teaching Award and the Rupert Radford Teaching Fund Award in 2009. In addition, she received the 2011 National Teacher Distinction Award from the Scholastic Art & Writing Alliance, based in New York. Her previous work experience includes the Smithsonian Institution; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Choate Rosemary Hall. On campus, Ms. Lewis  is a member of the dorm faculty team of Hoyt Hall.

Ms. Lewis  is a painter and has exhibited her work in dozens of exhibitions, primarily in New York City, where she has a studio. Her sources of inspiration are pop culture and vintage magazines, and she often focuses on hair and portraiture in her imagery. Her artworks are in private collections in New York, London, California, Singapore, Beijing and Copenhagen.

Ms. Lewis  loves to infuse contemporary art into her curriculum and has invited several professional artists to work with students in the Exeter studios. She has an affinity for pop art, fashion design and roller-skating, and loves to see her students feel proud of their work. She believes every Exonian is an artist, and enjoys fostering the transformation of a football player into a printmaker or painter.