I decided to pursue sculpture after taking Johns Sculpture II class.

He encouraged
me to explore different materials and keep experimenting. He taught me how fun
things can become serious and meaningful. He told me that talent alone does not
make a good artist but you have to work hard and be committed to your studio
practice. He showed me how to fall in love with my work. I used to doubt my work
and my art-making process but John never stopped believing in me.
The summer after my junior year, I got to work with John and thirteen other artists
in Gouldsboro, Maine. I remember working on these twig sculptures but things
werent going so well and I wasnt receiving good feedback from other artists. I was
disappointed and wanted to give up. John did not let me do that. When I was crying
and telling John I didnt know what to do, he said, Berty, you have to keep making
your work. I love it and Im not going to let anyone make you stop.

Im in graduate school pursuing my MFA in sculpture and I still remember what John
has taught me: never stop working, keep making, explore and experiment. I
appreciate his continuous support and encouragement. Last year, I asked him if I
could put him down as a reference for my residency program application. He said
duh, of course bird.
Loretta Park 11

I truly enjoyed having John as a professor for fall semester of senior studio-he has such a refreshing energy and wonderful spirit. "Farm fresh beets (beats)!" he
would exclaim at some point during class, or hold up a hammer and cry out
"Science!"--it kept the class lively. Despite his affable manner, John has the highest
of expectations for his students--you really can't slack off.
I will admit it was a challenging semester. At the beginning it felt like at every
turn, I collided with another creative block. John pushed me to keep making--more
and more until something clicked. It was hard and frustrating during the times I felt
like I'd run out of ideas or that I'd never get the material to do what I wanted it to-John's answer was always to keep exploring. The discipline that I built in his class,
showing up and putting in the hours in the studio, is what got me through the year.
Spring semester went much more smoothly, and I received the juror's prize at the
senior show, but I never would have gotten there without a strong foundation.
Linda

Im not sure that I was ever so excited to introduce a professor to my parents as I

was when my father had the chance to meet John at the opening of the senior show.
John had been my mentor and out-of-class advisor that semester during Senior
Studio, and after months of what did not always seem like linear progress, I had

been awarded the faculty award. John was a huge part of what helped me get to the
place that I did that semester. So much of this began the previous fall when I took
Sculpture I with John: in particular, I think often of his affirming Big step, Sadie
and his appreciation for even the most minute positive change, as well as the way
he pushed me to see that progress in my own work was directly correlated with
putting in the time. These are principles that I think of all the time not only in my
own artwork today but in other professional and personal pursuits.

I think its important for the administration to know that John was not just a favorite
of art majors and minors, but also of those students in his class who were there
(initially, at least) to fulfill their VPA requirement. Its hard to me to imagine a more
worthwhile educator for a student who may only be taking one art course in their
entire collegiate career.
Sadie Nott 12

I took Sculpture II with John Bisbee in the Fall of my senior year. His class was
transformative for me as an artist, unlike any other educational experience I have
ever had, and instrumental in my decision to pursue a career in art. John is an
incredible educator. His unconventionality is an asset. His dedication to his own art
practice sets the precedent for those in his class. John empowers his students with
his generosity, honesty, and wit, and fosters an academic environment where
students achieve above and beyond what they thought they could do. The piece I
made in Johns class was the strongest of all the work I made at Bowdoin. At the
end of the semester I spent with John, we had an opening to show the work we
made. My parents came to Brunswick to attend the show, and in the middle of the
crowded event John came over to the three of us. He looked straight at my parents,
gestured to me, and said Shes the real deal. That comment meant the world to
me and was, without exaggeration, the moment I realized I could pursue my
aspiration of being an artist. Im now in my first year of an MFA program, and I have
been thinking a lot about the tremendous art education I received at Bowdoin. John
Bisbee was a huge part of that. At an institution with a small and tight knit art
department, it is crucial to have a personal and professional mentor like John. He is
an amazing educator and is truly one-of-a-kind. I hope Bowdoin will not loose John
Bisbee. It would truly be a loss to the college and to the current and future artists
that study there.
Courtney Stock 09

I was shocked and very disappointed this week to learn that Bowdoin college is
planning to terminate its relationship with John Bisbee. I was lucky enough to get
one of the coveted spots in John's Sculpture I class my first semester at Bowdoin

and it shaped my entire four years and life since. The love of making art that I
discovered in that tiny room in the top of Mass Hall fifteen years ago is the most
important thing I took away from my Bowdoin experience.
I've studied art at Bowdoin, MICA, and NYU and have been lucky enough to learn
from successful working artists from Tylden Streett to Spike Lee to Todd Solondz. I
can say without a doubt that no one genuinely cares about their students like John
does. And John cares so much about every student, not just those, like me, who
wanted to pursue careers in the arts, but every student regardless of talent or
experience. If you showed up to work, he showed up for you. The work ethic he
inspired, and the joy he taught us how to find in the process of doing the work, not
just in the final project, is something that still serves me today.
John's teaching is definitely unconventional, and I was aware that it made the
administration nervous back in 2003 when I requested John as my advisor and was
strongly discouraged by all. I'm glad that I persevered because he was a fantastic
advisor. John was the subject of one of my first short films when I started my MFA
program at Tisch. I made the film on practically no budget and he let my crew stay
in his house and cooked dinner for us during our stay. He provides employment and
free studio space for Bowdoin alumni at Fort Andross. He makes Bowdoin, and the
town of Brunswick, more vibrant and culturally relevant place for art.
In 2007 I helped to create the Jean Kaempfer Artists Fund to support financially
disadvantaged students enrolled in the Department of Studio Art, for the purchase
of art supplies, one or more summer internships, or other supplemental activities or
supplies needed to pursue their interest in Studio Art. It was solely because of my
experiences in Johns classes that the fund was created. The students who have
received support from the Jean Kaempfer Artist Fund have John to thank as much as
anyone in my family. In this way, as in so many others, John's work and dedication
extends far beyond the forty or fifty students who take his classes each year.

I feel so lucky to have had John as a professor. It makes me incredibly sad to think
that incoming students wont get to experience his classes. It's such a loss, and the
worst part is that it's completely avoidable.
Annie Kaempfer 04

I arrived at Bowdoin College completely lost. A quick look at my course listings

Freshmen Year show the perfect portrait of a student with no idea what shes doing.
English, Spanish, Religion, Biology, Psychology, Archaeology, Anthropology...I
collected one of each. If it hadnt been for John Bisbee I would have ended up
attempting to graduate with 12 minors and no major. It wasnt until Sophomore
Year that I realized what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. John was giving me

a ride to Fort Andros where I was going to help set up a show. I was lamenting my
inability to focus on a field. John turned to me and said, Avery, you could do
anything. But youre an artist. What he said struck me immediately as the truth.
Ever since then my path has been crystal clear. Ive been working the past 4 years
as a scenic painter in the movie and television industry in New York City. Just this
year I began the process of applying to graduate school. I plan to pursue a Masters
degree in Art Teaching. I want to spend the rest of my life teaching students and
inspiring artists to pursue their passions. I hope to someday be as inspirational and
talented an art teacher as John Bisbee. I cant imagine Bowdoin College without
that man. I hope the administration seriously reconsiders their decision to
terminate one of the most effective teachers I have ever had.
Avery Forbes 08

I want to express to you my opinion that it is a tragic and short-sighted mistake for
the college to eliminate professor Bisbee from the faculty, thereby denying future
Bowdoin students opportunities for intellectual, artistic, and emotional development
that are unparalleled and irreplaceable.
During my first two years as a student at Bowdoin I struggled to find a scholastic
pursuit that felt meaningful and congruous with my aptitudes. Preliminary
interactions with the gatekeepers of the music department were extremely
discouraging, deterring me from ever taking a class, and the one art class I took my
sophomore year was uninspiring. I had attempted to procure a coveted spot in one
of Johns sculpture courses, but given their demand, I was never able to secure one.
The end of year two came, and I resolved to embrace my aimlessness, take time off,
and seek out some sort of guiding light.
I returned to Bowdoin determined to find my bearings as an anthropology and
education student. I am grateful for the lessons, challenges, and support I had in
those departments - I still carry them with me. However, nothing in my years at
Bowdoin has impacted me so much as John Bisbee.
During the spring of 2013, I dropped out of the Bowdoin Teacher Scholars program
halfway through February due to a personal crisis. Fortuitously, I received a call from
my friend Sam Gilbert 10 a few weeks later asking if I could come lend a hand in
Johns studio for a day. Thank God, the universe, Hilary, Trump, the economy, The
Beatles, Bright Common Spikes, whatever it is were supposed to have faith in,
thank you so much for that day. John saw potential and promise in me and has
nurtured it aggressively ever since. He offered me a job and gave me the means,
freedom, flexibility, and encouragement to pursue my own creative path. He taught
me to weld and let help build components for his sculptures. He gave me the
resources to learn Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and let me participate in his

design process. He has fostered the growth of countless skills that I believe would
make me a good candidate to work in any number of industries. Furthermore, his
generosity, resolve, unique vision, and support have blended into perpetual,
inexhaustible instruction for which I am eternally grateful. Most importantly, he has
given me the confidence to be resolute in my creative pursuit and to believe in
myself.
I believe my relationship with John reveals how far his pedagogy extends beyond his
classroom in time and space. Mine is not a unique story. Ive witnessed time and
again how John inspires students at Bowdoin, whether they have him as a professor
or not. He is a major reason that alums return year after year. I have seen many
stop by his shop during graduation and alumni weekends. He forms meaningful,
inspiring relationships with students that last well beyond the four years of college.
How many art professors out there buy their students art after theyve gone out
into the world to become artists?
John may not be the most formulaic instructor at Bowdoin, but he may well be the
most important. In education courses, I learned to value standards-based
assessments whereby students are primarily judged not by how well they handle
the minutia of the course but by what they can demonstrate theyve learned by the
courses end. Should professors not be held to such a standard? Simply, John gets
excellent results from his students. Then he goes well beyond by inspiring students
through his own work, providing pedagogical diversity to the campus, and
prompting long-term relationships between the school and its alumni. John exceeds
in all of the most essential categories as a liberal arts teacher and mentor, and it is
very difficult for many to understand why the college wouldnt figure out how to
keep him on the faculty.

Sincerely,
McKay Belk 11

I was part of the 2013 graduating class that was lucky enough to have John Bisbee
and Mark Wethli as co-heads of our senior studio/seminar. I cant believe that I had
gotten all the way to my senior year without having either of these two magnificent
professors, but I am so thankful that I got to learn from them my senior year. I
cherish my experiences that year, which truly salvaged my Bowdoin experience and
resurrected my spirits during a tumultuous time. Though I had just met John Bisbee
he immediately became a mentor, not only for his inspiring work ethic in his own
practice, but for his wisdom as a professor and for being such a selfless and
genuinely caring human being. My commitment to a career in art is thanks to that
class and John. I am gutted that future students feeling as lost as I was will not have
the opportunity to find inspiration and purpose through the guidance of Bowdoins
true shining light: John Bisbee.

Nicole Fossi 13

John Bisbee was single handedly the most influential professor (out of a lot of
amazing professors) I had at Bowdoin. It was his unconventional ways in a sea of
conformity that drew me to his classes. He helped me find the inner depths of the
artist in me that I didnt know existed. He taught me to push the boundaries of my
creativity and to think outside of the box. From Freshman Fall on, I took his classes
every chance I got. I took on a double major in Visual Arts/Government because of
John. He helped me balance both sides of my personality - my structured, organized
approach with a free wielding wild card. My art was both methodical and
unexpected.

I wish Bowdoin held post-grad classes where we could study again with our favorite
professors. He would be my first call. His take on the world and art was so inspiring,
the memories burn very brightly in my mind. I am unbelievably disappointed to
think future generations will not get the chance to take his classes, to understand
the depths of the artist within, or to understand that the ones that burn the
brightest will transform you in unexpected ways.
Alicia Smith 04

John is the only teacher I have had at any level about whom I find myself wondering
God I wonder what Bisbee is up to these days. John was a very empowering and
enriching friend during my 4 years in Brunswick, and I cannot imagine my Bowdoin
experience without him. I am not an artist, I am barely a consumer of art, but I fell
into his classes and am a much better person for it. John is one of the best people
Ive ever met and he will be on to better things than Bowdoin, if in fact Bowdoin is
done with him. Hearing this news has motivated me to get back in touch with him,
so thank you.
Alex Laser White 08

Bowdoin was not always great for me. At first, I felt very out of placeI took classes
that I thought I should take rather than the classes I was interested in. I really
struggled on a personal level to find my place at Bowdoin throughout my first years
there. It was not really until my senior year when I was lucky enough to have my
Senior Seminar and Studio with John Bisbee and Mark Wethli that I truly found it. Its
not overstating anything to say that these two professors changed my life. I always
thought of art as something I dabbled in, but John told me and made me realize that
I am an artist. His unconventionality is something that Bowdoin should embrace,
and its something that it could surely use more of.

I once heard that a personal relationship between a student and teacher could be
an aid to the learning process, however I found that in my case with John (and the
case almost every other one of his students, as demonstrated here), that
relationship was crucial. He helped me through some very difficult experiences and
more than once listened to me cry and brought me back to a good place. He
contributed tremendously to my art practice, my confidence, and acted as a support
system, mentor, and occasional (and necessary) harsh critic.
Classes with John are more than just instructional periods of time. Bisbee takes the
time to create a real relationship with each and every one of his students. He made
our class into a familycomplete with dinners and all. That dynamic doesnt change
after graduation eitherJohn has always made himself readily available to former
students and seeing him is always a reunion with your favorite, nutty, nail-sculpting,
trucker-hat wearing, bearded uncle.

I sincerely hope the college will reconsider terminating Johns contract. Losing such
a fantastic artist and mentor would be a tremendous loss for the college, and a
serious disservice to future visual arts students.
Rachel Caas 13

I didn't know that I was a sculptor until I took Bisbees class as a junior, but from
that point on it has been an inescapable fact of my existence. Never has a teacher
inspired, guided or believed in me to the depth and extent that John Bisbee has. He
opened my eyes to my own potential and to the possibility of pursuing a viable
career as an artist. His passion and commitment to artistic integrity and his deep
belief in the power of hard work and personal discovery made me see the world and
my place in it in an entirely new way. His effectiveness as an instructor goes far
beyond what could be achieved through any curriculum or department structure. He
has an energy and a truth to him that blows the minds of his students year after
year and I have seen him touch so many lives in ways that continue to propagate
long after graduation.
After I graduated, John gave me the opportunity to make art for a living. With him I
have traveled around the country installing art at colleges, universities, museums,
private establishments and residences. I have learned so much about what it takes
to be a successful artist and to maintain one's own integrity in a world constantly
offering opportunity for compromise.
John's support for his students goes way beyond the academic. It is philosophical,
existential, emotional. He helps people discover who they are and why they matter.
For the Bowdoin art department (and for the Bowdoin community as a whole) to
lose John Bisbee would be a senseless tragedy. The man loves each and every one
of his students and puts forth immense amounts of vital energy in order that they

might find truth in their lives. He will never be replaced and the future for Bowdoin
artists will be a little less bright if we allow his termination.
Sam Gilbert 10

When I talk about Bowdoin, I talk about John Bisbee. Truly. I take out my phone, whip
out a photo of his nail sculptures, and proceed to explain how he has been an
inspiration to me and countless others. In my senior year, I took Sculpture II with
John. Before this course, I had never thought of art as the creation of new verbs,
but John introduced me to the notion that any medium, whatever it may be, has a
quality that can be unleashed. John taught me to patiently experiment, and
embrace the philosophy of taking a small success and multiplying it until it has
become something entirely new and grand. John teaches how to create and not
what to create -- and I have used lessons learned in his sculpture course most
recently in studying International Negotiation at the Fletcher School where creativity
has been essential.

Johns love for teaching goes far beyond the classroom. John has continued to
support me as a mentor and friend after graduation. As I know that he does for
many students, John always makes time to catch up. In particular, John continues to
remind me of the goals that I told him of while I was a student at Bowdoin. I am
grateful to have taken a class with John Bisbee, and saddened by the prospect that
he may no longer be able to shake up, move, support, and enlighten Bowdoin
students. I ask, with utmost sincerity, that Bowdoin reevaluate this decision.
Anna Ackerman, 12

I took Sculpture I and II from John, met with him frequently throughout my senior
year as an art major, and I have considered him a mentor and friend after
graduating. His dedication to the work and personal growth of his students is
unparalleled at Bowdoin. Johns classes push the intellectual and creative
boundaries of the most dedicated art students while also inspiring profound artistic
exploration from students who never dreamed they might find a voice in the art
department (an extremely difficult balance to strike). John creates a learning
environment which is simultaneously extremely rigorous, delightfully informal, and
unfalteringly encouraging. I cannot imagine a more fertile environment for artistic
and personal exploration. Moreover, Johns classes approach the creation of
meaningful work in ways which are unique at Bowdoin; they shift academic pursuit
from abstract reasoning toward gritty, tactile personal experience, sensory
immersion, and emotional intuition. He is the only professor at Bowdoin to build
courses around the notion that meaningful, fulfilling, and important work can exist
outside the world of rational intellect. This divergence makes him an invaluable
asset to the college. If Bowdoin places value on creating a diverse, expansive

academic environment, then they should recognize that losing John is a crushing
blow to the vibrancy of their intellectual community.

While John contributes substantially to Bowdoins academic environment, his most

enduring and valuable gifts are more difficult to quantify. I mean the way he walks
through class raving gleefully about the unfathomable beauty of the romanesque
cauliflower hes holding in his hand. I mean the way he pulls you aside and
earnestly tells you that your work is ferocious, guttural, and important. This cannot
be reiterated enough: John is immensely generous. There are the hours spent
outside of class helping students, letting them use his tools and studio, taking them
out to lunch, buying their artwork, and giving them pep talks in their moments of
doubt. But it goes beyond basic acts of giving, though these are numerous. His
generosity is about giving students his full, unfiltered self and creating space for
them to do the same. This most basic honesty and forthrightness encourages
personal expression and profound curiosity. Most of all, it establishes a high
standard of personal integrity opens the door to pursuing the most rich and fulfilling
aspects of the human experience. These are gifts and skills that last a lifetime, and
in that respect, John embodies the loftiest goals of a liberal arts education.
Removing John from the faculty is a blatant affront to the mission of Bowdoin. It is a
step toward intellectual homogeneity and a great loss for the entire community,
especially present and future students. This mistake should be reconsidered and
fixed.
Tom Ryan, 12

I have tried many times to put my sentiments regarding the profound effect
John Bisbee has had on me and have not come up with anything that sufficiently
portrays my feelings. I dont know if Ive ever worked with someone who more truly
inspired the artist in me, and I believe he has that effect on each student. I firmly
believe he is a central reason I consider myself an artist. I still find myself
considering what advice he might give when Im unsure of a piece. Ive even called
him up a few times to ask him personally, and he has always been there with the
right answer. Working as an art teacher now, I consciously ask myself what John
would do, what he would say, how he would spark that muse as he has done so
often with me and so many of my peers.
The one piece of advice Ive given to so many Bowdoin students that the one
thing they must absolutely do while at Bowdoin is to take a class with John Bisbee.
While I realize that I know quite little of the situation, ever since I heard that John
Bisbee will not be continuing to educate students at Bowdoin College, Ive tried to
fathom the reasoning behind this. At least from the perspective of one alumni,John

is an utterly unique gem. I could not ask for a better experience from a professor. I
deeply feel this is a tragic loss for the Bowdoin community.
Theresa Merchant, 13

I was lucky to be Johns student and now I am lucky to be his employee. From this
vantage point, Johns work is representative of his offer to the college strong,
elegant, and complexly patterned, yet graceful and sublime. His teaching contains a
version of the black and white, classical, rigorous backbone of Bowdoin while
simultaneously illuminating a pathway for students to rebelliously and
autonomously export this backbone into self-permission and the appreciation and
creation of pure beauty. The Bowdoin Art Department ideally exists to expand the
field of vision of all of Bowdoins students while simultaneously helping Bowdoins
serious artists realize they are serious artists and giving them fundamental,
intangible tools to excel. John succeeds admirably at both he is a fun, thoughtprovoking, importantly uncomfortable widening of perspective for some students,
and a motivational signal-fire for others who require a career in the arts. Part of
what makes the decision to let John go particularly frustrating to me is that he is not
just an exceptional mentor, his particular way of mentorship is integral to what
Bowdoin should be.

John is a deep well of truth. He daily brings me, as he does all his students, a
connection to a reality that is as concrete and sharp as it is rare and fantastic. He
has taught me a tenacious responsibility to the craft, to the what-the-work-needs,
and given me an intangible sort of hint about how it might be possible to see the
world around me and my own work with growing honesty and discernment. Future
students will lose an indescribable asset if the decision to end the colleges
relationship with John Bisbee is allowed to stand.
Elijah Ober 15

I had the distinct pleasure of studying under John during my senior year as part of
the Visual Arts departments senior studio course. I cannot express how grateful I
am to have had the chance to learn from John before concluding my studies. A task
even more daunting is to imagine that Bowdoins future artists have been denied
the opportunity to meet an incredible man and in what ways the richness of their
creative journeys has been altered.
Class with John was all about possibilitya sentiment that allowed me to transform
uncertainty into productive modes of creativity. Johns teaching goes far beyond the
acquisition of technique; Johns teaching serves a purpose to provide intimate

mentorship to each one of his students that explores the realms of both academia
and life. Without a doubt, it was Johns unbridled passion for art and teaching that
defined my experience as an artist at Bowdoin. After all, he was the first person
who made me believe that I was an artist.

I realize that what is written here may not be able to resolve the rift that Johns
dismissal may well cause, but it should be known that John Bisbee has left a most
singularly resonant mark on us all. John, thank you.
Joshua Gutierrez 13

I have been struggling to sufficiently express in words the amount of gratitude, care
and appreciation I have for John Bisbee and the impact he has had on my education
both while a student at Bowdoin, and as an alum. There is a certain feeling that I
had upon graduating from Bowdoin that I have been trying to recreate for myself in
a time of recent uncertainty. It is a feeling of comfort, support and confidence, a
feeling that I can make anything possible for myself. Just four weeks ago, I was
trying to decide whether I was ready to pursue a path to further my education as an
artist or do something that felt less terrifying and was possibly more practical. This
felt like an important step for me, and the first person I turned to was John Bisbee. I
showed up to his studio unannounced and just by seeing this familiar mentor, I was
immediately overwhelmed with that feeling I had after four years of Bowdoin:
comforted, supported, and confident in myself as an artist. John sat across from me
and said something along the lines of: you know what is right, you have every tool
you need to be successful, you need to be the gauge with which you measure your
work in the world, not relying on other people to do that for you. Trust yourself and
your work. A week after having this conversation with John, I decided to apply for
graduate programs for a masters in fine arts. This is step that I know I would not be
making without the mentorship of John, not just from this recent conversation but
also from the work I was able to create in his class, which makes up a large portion
of my graduate application portfolio.
During my senior year at Bowdoin I was fortunate enough to have John Bisbee and
Mark Wethli for senior studio and senior seminar. During this semester I was
struggling to stay on top of my work in all of my classes, was overwhelmed with
personal difficulties and was desperately in need of support from my Bowdoin
community and having a hard time asking for it. One day in studio during a desk
critique, John came up to me and said: Blood, when are you going to tell me what
is going on in your life? I was so grateful and relieved to have Johns blunt and
explicit concern for my life, for the entirety of my experience as a Bowdoin student
and for recognizing that all of the things I was experiencing there were important to
my work and my ability to succeed in his class. The amount of emotional as well as

critical intellectual support he gave me during that time is truly immeasurable and I
can say without a doubt that without it I would not have graduated as academically
successful, or as personally confident as I did. It is important to note that the way in
which he supported me through this was not only be being a mentor and an
engaged adult, but first and foremost by having higher expectations for my work
than I even thought I could have for it myself. He pushed me to create some of the
most important and challenging things that I have made as an artist and through
that work to overcome personal difficulties and become a more confident and
empowered person. I cannot imagine a more valuable quality than this in a
professor.

I remember Johns parting advice to my senior studio class: Keep making your
work. Trust yourself and your work, your work will carry you. These words resonate
in my mind so frequently; they are what have kept me motivated on a path that has
not always been clearly laid out in front of me since graduating. He has been an
essential part of so many students educations while at Bowdoin and after they
have left. The care that John has for the Bowdoin community, the energy he pours
into his classes, the confidence he instills in his students, and the standard to which
he holds their work as well as his own is unparalleled. It is an incredible loss and
deeply saddening to think that present and future students will not have the
opportunity to learn from this truly remarkable person that has impacted so many
Bowdoin students lives.
Audrey Blood 13

Being in Johns class was unlike anything else offered at Bowdoin College. He
inspired a camaraderie amongst the students: getting us talking, helping each other
out, critiquing, etc. Sculpture I and II are the only two classes where I can
remember who was in my class and what they were working on. John was not a
normal professor, he walked a thin line of being a friend, confidant, and authority
figure. And this is the exact type of professor who takes 18-21 year olds and helps
turn them into fully functioning, thoughtful, caring adults.
Art was not my calling, I have very little talent for it. But what I learned in Bisbees
class I find still affecting me in my life. I appreciate art more, I understand that
what makes something beautiful and important is not just how it looks, but the
effort and love that are evident in its creation. Im better at communication, at
coming out of my shell even when I dont want to, in order to connect with another
person. I cant imagine my time at Bowdoin without the time spent upstairs in the
sculpture studio, and I think the Bowdoin experience will not be the same without
him.
-

Elena Snavely 08

John Bisbee taught me how to work and how to think. I stumbled into his Sculpture I
class as a clueless, unhappy freshman, and he single handedly turned my life
around. I had spent my first semester at Bowdoin feeling completely lost. I got Bs
and Cs and even a D that first term. I was a creative kid, and I knew that I wanted
to pursue art in college. I had been encouraged as a high school artist, but when I
got to Bowdoin, I didnt have any direction and had never really been pushed
outside of my comfort zone. I enrolled in Sculpture I in my second semester, and
loved John and his class immediately - he made me feel supported, inspired, and
motivated. But what Ill be forever grateful for is a meeting I had with him about
halfway through the semester, when he was checking in on a self-directed project I
had proposed. I didnt know it at the time, but the project was a joke - I was
basically trying to rehash something I had done in my senior year of high school,
and he saw right through it. He told me it was bullshit. He told me I could do
better, that I HAD to do better. He told me, essentially, why would you ask a
question that you think you know the answer to? It was hard to hear, but it was
truly my first creative awakening. I spent the rest of the semester pushing
materials to discover their capabilities and their limits, making observations,
making mistakes, and using those mistakes to ask new questions.
When, the next year, I followed up Johns Sculpture I class with drawing courses with
Riley Brewster and Mark Wethli, my eyes were completely open. I was learning how
to truly see the world around me, how to work with and manipulate materials, and
how to express my own voice through art making. And I was learning how to be a
student, how to learn from others and listen and ask questions. I had focus, and I
had something I cared about - I was becoming an artist. I spent the next three
years on the Deans List, eventually graduating cum laude as a visual art major. I
remember in my senior year, when other friends were stressing out about finding
the right job or internship for after graduation, I felt calm and self-assured because I
knew what I was going to do - I might not have had a job or financial security in
place, but I had direction and confidence and the tools to start my own career as an
artist. I owe that to John Bisbee - and Mark Wethli, too. The two of them, in
completely different ways, pushed me to believe in myself and my voice, and sent
me off into the world as someone full of curiosity and compassion. And isnt that
the point of a liberal arts education?
I believe that John Bisbee is one of the greatest assets Bowdoin has to offer. It is
disappointing and heartbreaking that his contract is being terminated, to think that
future students might not be introduced to him. My heart is racing as I write this,
thinking back to the feeling of being 19 years old and learning to find my voice.
John was my teacher, mentor, and friend. He helped me navigate my academic
experience at Bowdoin, and also helped me work through some very difficult

periods of personal loss and tragedy. Ill admit that it has been a while since Ive
really reflected on how much he means to me but, as someone who is still making
art 15 years later, I have never lost sight of his lessons and influence - they are part
of my daily life. John, I love you and thank you for everything you have taught and
given to me.
Kyle Durrie 02

I was lucky enough to have been one of John Bisbees many Pumpkins during my
studies at Bowdoin College. I was a naive, straight-laced, academia-loving youngin
and Professor Bisbee wasnt at all what I expected to find in a professor of art.
Where I likely imagined a strictly run studio with a tightly ordered syllabus and
classroom, John was loud, brash, wildly eccentric and let us ride the train of our
ideas in any direction wed so choose. On the first day of class John gallivanted into
the warehouse wearing a mechanic's shirt and Nikes and was followed closely by a
scrappy rescue dog named Bonnie, who laid herself down on the run down sofa. We,
the unsuspecting newbies, were to be hit with the force of his personality and the
challenge that was his will for each of us to get to the heart of it, work our hardest,
give our best, and have fun. He would take no bullsh*t from his pupils, and I
immediately knew my life was going to change.
Through his encouragements and teaching, John allowed me to find what my unique
language of expression looked like, sounded like and felt like, and it didnt follow
any rules and it didnt look like anything Id ever made before. I felt the excitement
of new discovery, like an adventurer setting foot on foreign land. When I hit
roadblocks John was there with guiding words or useful tools to keep me pushing
forward. It was tough-love at times, as John expected the best from all of us, but we
respected him for his brutal honesty. He was the first person to buy a work of minetelling me that as Id made an official sale I was officially to be considered a
professional artist. He had his ways to guide you toward believing in yourself, often
with simple truths, even when you were a gravely humble thing like me.
John is an inimitable supernova of a human being. He is the leader of our Dead
Poets Society and a man so unafraid of speaking his mind that he sets others free
to find their truth and do the same. Yes, this ruffles some feathers at times, but it
also opens eyes. A true artist and influence, John taught me how to make my art as
well as collectively- our art- and to really back the carpe diem motto that had
been my personal mantra. Through his example I learned to live and create with full
heart and force- wildly, thoughtfully, and in all directions. I learned who I was under
his watchful eye. I learned good, tough lessons like accountability, responsibility and
individuality. In his company I saw (and to this day am still influenced by) a

shamelessness and ferocity of the poetical heart. As others have said, he awakened
us- an experience not to be forgotten or taken for granted.

Bisbee, thank you for expecting us to be the best artists and people that we can be.
Thank you for caring so deeply about each of us and our stories and our creations,
and nurturing us in your many ways. I dont know if its done and decided that you
no longer teach at Bowdoin, but I cannot imagine the institution without you. In
many ways, for me, it was in greater part defined by you and I should think it a
great loss for the college if you go. No matter what, Im sure wherever you roams
you will leave a great and lasting mark.
Emily Schonberg 10

Neither of us are artists or work in an art-related field, but we can both say that John
Bisbees Sculpture I and II classes continue to impact our daily lives, and remain our
favorite classes from our time at Bowdoin. Through Johns teaching and leadership,
he taught us about passion and drive, impermanence, dedication and loyalty,
confidence, inclusivity, and helped us to find our paths through college and after.
From the first day of Sculpture I class the fall of our Sophomore year, we knew we
were incredibly lucky to be in Sculpture class together. John Bisbee wears his
passion for art and his students on his sleeve, and we knew from the moment we
started that this would be unlike any other academic class. So much of what we
learned was simply demonstrated by John: his love for art and all living creatures,
his drive to constantly question and push his art to other levels, his humor and
ability to engage with every single person in the room. What is a demonstration of
dedication if not a man working with just nails for over 20 years? He is a profoundly
good teacher and talented artist, and marries these two qualities by exemplifying
his lifelong commitment to his work and his students. To illustrate this, there was a
day that one of Johns former students made an unexpected visit to our class, and
John remembered his name. Afterwards he said to him, I cant believe I
remembered your name after all of these years! It hit home for us how dedicated
he is to his students, and the close bond he forms with each and every person in his
classroom.
Johns classes embody The Offer of the College: he creates a classroom
experience where you feel at home, you look to nature and art for inspiration, you
become close friends with your fellow classmates, and above all, you lose yourself
in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends. Our final
project for Sculpture I was to work as a class to create a masking tape Wonderland,
an open exhibition where all students could come in and explore how tangible and
reachable it is to be an artist using everyday materials. He encouraged cooperation
and hard work, but kept our class enjoyable and upbeat. He set a standard that

continues in our professional lives; we both seek out work environments where
colleagues demonstrate passion, and yet dont take themselves too seriously. We
both seek collaborative work places where strong opinions (even dissenting ones)
are valued and collegiality is the primary tenet. It was the creative, inclusive
environment of Johns classes that led us to become friends; 11 years later were
still close because of a bond that started with John Bisbees class. It could happen in
any class, but we believe that Johns classes foster a different connection between
professor and students, and amongst the students.
And yet, while John created a coterie among us, he stressed the importance of
inclusivity and frequently made our curious classmates not in sculpture class feel
like they were part of the group. He nursed even the mildest interest in art,
transforming students with no art background into curious individuals ready to
explore the reach of their imaginations. His constant support and tough love gave
us perhaps the best gift a 19 and 20 year-old could get: the confidence to find our
own paths and be ourselves. Though clich, there is likely no greater lesson for
fresh college students.

John taught us to always push for more, to approach our work from new angles, and
to enjoy the company and talent of those around us. His lessons on impermanence
where we created sculptures only to destroy themtaught us to keep our egos in
check, and to not get overly attached to what we create. He warned against giving
every sentence the same punctuation, and encouraged us to try new things and
continually test ourselves. Every lesson resonates with us now, and were proud to
say we learned these wonderful characteristics at Bowdoin. It is a shame to think
that Bisbees teaching will not continue; we couldnt have asked for better skills to
have in our post-Bowdoin lives.
Casey Dtrain Dlott and Matty Dresh Dresher, 07

It is safe to say that John Bisbee is the reason why I came to Bowdoin. I remember
that afternoon during my senior year of high school when my mother and I were
pouring over art departments at liberal arts schools, stalking all of the art faculty
pages, looking for gems. Boy did we find one. In his photo, he had a trucker hat on,
a mouse in his pocket, and a goofy look on his face. Intrigued by his short bio, we
went to his website, and our minds were blown. I knew I had to meet this guy, and
that it would be an incredible privilege to be taught by him.
Little did I know that he would turn into the greatest mentor I have ever had, my
dear friend, my source of inspiration, my fellow maker of crazy sh*t, my allknowing sage when I need advice, my go-to shoulder to cry on, my biggest
constructive critic, my cheerleading squad when I need it most. I was lucky enough

to land in his Sculpture I class my freshman fall, and that was it. My life changed
forever.
John has a way of reading people that I had never experienced before I met him,
and I have not experienced since. Just by looking at me for a second as I entered
the classroom, he knew immediately if I needed to talk, if I had slacked on my
homework, if I had just gotten a great grade on a test. And beyond that, he knew
exactly how to react according to my state, lifting me out of whatever slump I might
be in and giving me just the pep talk I needed to push forward and keep making.
To this day, John is the voice inside my head. Leading by example, he taught me
that possibilities are endless if you just keep persevering. John works constantly. He
is either making or helping others make, all day every day. He practices everything
he preaches, and makes sure we see him in action and understand that integrity,
persistence, and dedication are integral to success in anything we might pursue.
And, beyond all of that, somehow he still finds the time to forge lasting connections
with every one of his students, mentoring them all, befriending them all, and
touching each and every one of their lives.
It is with Johns support and blessing that I pursued an art career post graduation.
John believed in me when I did not believe in myself. When I find myself in a rut, I
think about what advice John would give me, and it helps me keep my momentum. I
came to Bowdoin wired in such a way where I relied on planning, planning, planning
you come up with your idea, map it all out, and then execute it. John flipped my
world upside down that freshman fall. He knew right away what type of student I
was, and he wouldnt let me get away with it. Planning was simply not allowed in
this class. His philosophy was that if you went with something, kept making, put an
incredible amount of hours into creating, and persevered, brilliance would emerge.
And he was absolutely right. He broke down my type-A way of making art, and
taught me how to free myself, to let myself be strong enough and open enough to
let go of structure, and to let art come together organically. He took me into his
studio and showed me exactly what he meant by this, and revealed to me what
magic could come from his philosophy. He opened my eyes to a whole new way of
thinking, learning, and doing, which transformed me both as an artist and as a
person. I apply the lessons he taught me during my four years at Bowdoin to my life
every day, both as a member of society and as an artist.

I cant imagine Bowdoin without John. What an enormous, unfathomable loss. To

think that so many students will go through their four years without crossing paths
with such a beautiful soul is devastating. John Bisbee is a professor that Bowdoin
must fight for. Our college would not be the same without him. He is one in a
million.
Haley Gewandter 14