After teaching at Augustana for over 40 years, Megan Quinn, professor of art, will be retiring at the end of this semester. Quinn first started working at Augustana in 1980.
Over the years, Quinn has contributed to the college and art department in various ways, serving as former department chair and helping craft Augustana’s graphic design major. She has also given back to the local community through her work with Quad City Arts, where her work has been displayed several times.
One of her most notable public art contributions is a 20-foot-tall sculpture titled “Lloyd’s Trek,” located in Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island and dedicated to her late husband, Lloyd Schoeneman. In the summer of 2014, Quinn and a group of Quad City Metro Arts students, including former Augustana students, completed mosaic work on the piece.
Originally from Baltimore, Quinn attended the University of Maryland for her bachelor’s degree in crafts and then went on to the University of Notre Dame, where she obtained her master’s of fine arts in ceramics.
However, Quinn didn’t first start out as an artist. The longtime pottery instructor said she didn’t create art in high school and first thought she wanted to go to college to become a botanist.
“During this taxonomy class, we had to draw what we saw under a microscope, and I thought ‘Well, I guess I can draw and learn how to draw,’” Quinn said. “So, I signed up for the art drawing class, and the design class and then the ceramics class, and it was all just too exciting to ever go back.”
Growing up, Quinn said she used to ride her bike all the way to Annapolis, where an elderly English couple established a pottery shop, just to see what they created next. This, she said, is what first fostered her passion for ceramics.
Quinn has taught wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics at Augustana for the last four decades, along with additional classes in sculpture, 3D design and upper-level art. Professor of Art Peter Xiao has worked alongside Quinn since his arrival at Augustana and said individuals like Quinn are “what the institution is truly about.”
“She’s the only art teacher who will draw so many community members to make art or hang around in her space,” Xiao said.
He said Quinn is a “reservoir of knowledge” within her field. In 2010, Quinn was involved in the college’s securement of the Olson-Brandelle North American Indian Art Collection, a large selection of Native American vessels spanning across generations.
“I can think of one or two other people who knew aspects of the collection, and they’re gone,” Xiao said. “They’re not here anymore, so that collection, after Megan is gone, will have to be researched by new people.”
Despite Quinn’s specialty in ceramics, Xiao said over time, she has branched out into different mediums, such as her contributions to the development of Augustana’s graphic design major in 2010.
“I feel like I’ve tried on a lot of different hats, in the terms of the art experiences I’ve chosen,” Quinn said.
Xiao sits on the hiring committee responsible for selecting Quinn’s replacement. He said the committee consists of himself, Vickie Phipps and Margaret Morse, along with faculty from other departments and students.
Xiao said the ideal candidate would specialize in 3D design and be able to continue on the current art department curriculum, such as ceramics and fiber classes. He said the committee is currently looking over applications and plans to discuss options further in mid-December.
In regards to Quinn’s replacement, senior Ciera Krogman said the next professor will have “some really big shoes to fill.” Krogman majors in biology on the pre-dental track and minors in art and said Quinn has had a huge impact on her Augustana experience.
Krogman said she specifically explored Quinn’s ceramics classes due to the correlation between pottery and dexterity, which is crucial for her future career in dentistry.
“She’s guided me along the way of that path, showing me similar techniques and tools they use in dental school,” she said. “She’s the kindest professor I’ve met at Augie and is very welcoming in her class setting.”
In Quinn’s classes, Krogman said she always feels “at zen” and is constantly inspired by Quinn’s creative attitude and mindset. In 2008, Quinn was awarded “Outstanding Art Educator” by Quad City Arts.
“The anxiety of becoming an ‘art star’ is just so overrated,” Quinn said. “I believe if you’re happy doing it for yourself, and you can pay the bills in some way, that’s enough of an award for me.”
Following retirement, Quinn said she will be moving to Ames, Iowa to be closer to her daughter. There, Quinn said she plans to create a studio in her garage and continue her work.
In January, Quinn’s work will be shown at St. Ambrose University’s Catich Gallery for a retrospective show.
“There’ll be a lot of current works and maybe just a few pieces from the past to show the path of my work and what’s stayed the same and maybe what’s changed,” Quinn said.
