Senior Brighid Biehl described her elementary school self as spastic. Her mother tried a variety of approaches to help Biehl release her energy, but nothing seemed to calm her down like a pencil and a piece of paper.
“My mom always told me that the only way I would focus on something is if I was drawing,” Biehl said, laughing.
When she entered middle school, Biehl started taking art classes at a local business that was operating out of their attic, and she had moved to a studio by the time she graduated. She learned how to work with oil paint, watercolor, charcoal and pastels.
“That’s [where] I decided that I really wanted to pursue art as a career, because it showed me that it’s not just a hobby; it could be a passion,” Bielh said.
Biehl is a Studio Art major from Charlotte, N.C.. When she was applying to Wake Forest during her senior year of high school, she admitted she wasn’t sure it would be the right fit. She told herself she would only attend if she got two “unlikely” requirements. If she was accepted, she had to get into the Global Awakenings program and receive the Presidential Scholarship for Studio Art. Spoiler alert: she got both.
However, even after being accepted, she had to deal with the unfortunate reality of pursuing an unconventional major.
“It’s offensive that people find [art] not as meaningful as other career choices,” Biehl said, admitting that a close family member questioned her decision to attend Wake Forest for Studio Art and not a community college. But Biehl has an answer to those who think that.
Biehl emphasized the variety of careers in the art world and encouraged others to appreciate the work it takes to succeed.
“It takes a lot of determination and drive,” Biehl said.
After graduating from Wake Forest, Biehl will be moving to Raleigh, N.C. to work for an art conservator who has restored paintings for Wake Forest, Reynolda House, the North Carolina Museum of Art and other other universities in the Triad. Afterward, Biehl plans on applying to graduate school for art conservation — but she faces a unique challenge.
“There’s [a limited amount of graduate schools for art conservation] in the country, and they’re all really competitive,” she said, but she also emphasized her excitement for what’s to come and how much she has learned from her major.
As a sophomore, Biehl went to La Biennale di Venezia, which is an international celebration of art and architecture in Venice, Italy. She had the opportunity to see contemporary art and explained that, before the trip, she never viewed contemporary art as something she enjoyed.
“After that trip, I found that I started incorporating aspects that I saw into my artwork because I liked it so much,” Biehl said.
Today, Biehl is a tour guide for potential students. Other than the close relationship she has with her Studio Art professors, she has a specific story she likes to tell about how she realized Wake Forest was the right place for her.
Biehl’s freshman year was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to live with a roommate that year, Wake Forest freshmen had to find someone beforehand. Biehl had been in contact with someone through Instagram and was very apprehensive.
The first day that Biehl arrived to move into her dorm, she found a water bottle on her desk with a sticky note stuck to it. It was from her to-be roommate and now best friend. It said, “Let’s get dinner tonight!” She was sold.
“I always tell people that Wake Forest has a great sense of community,” Biehl said. “I’ve found it in the art department, from being a student advisor and even being in my sorority — that’s why I’m really happy I got to spend four years here.”
