By KATE ULRICH ’29
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 16 Oct. 2026
From Friday, Oct. 30 to Friday, Dec. 11, the Ortlip Gallery will present “The Barry Sisters: Recent Work.”
The upcoming exhibit will replace a similarly collaborative one, Aaron Harrison’s “By Hand” and John Rhett’s “In Passing.” Their works will be displayed in the Ortlip Gallery until Thursday, Oct. 15.
The new show will feature pieces crafted by the Barry sisters Colleen McCray, Juliet Bate, Alice Drew and Sarah Morgan. The women are all graduates of Houghton University (HU) and lifelong artists. McCray shared that the sisters grew up immersed in creativity. Their father, a multitalented art teacher, “taught all of us at one point, so it was pretty natural to develop an interest in art.” Drew recalls family trips to art galleries and museums. “I remember my dad would always walk through the exhibits very slowly. He taught us to look, take our time to see the work, and explained what the artists were thinking about and about their decision making processes,” she said. Today, the women still nurture their artistic talents.
The gallery will showcase a fusion of forms and styles. Morgan, Bate and Drew all contribute paintings, each with a distinct approach. Ian Campbell, director of Ortlip Gallery, stated that in Bate’s abstract pieces, her unique lines and color combinations “evoke a range of natural motifs.” Morgan composes her still-life canvases with whimsical subjects and careful reconstruction. Drew’s landscapes explore light and greenery, but her ceramics (inspired by nature, clipper ships, Middle-Eastern architecture and more) are her trademark. Finally, McCray’s pop-folk prints, with vivid colors and outlines, are up-close representations of home-preserving.
Art student Gracie Stickels ‘27 works in multiple mediums, including acrylic and oil paint, sketching and ceramics. “I’m really excited that they’re doing an array of media,” she said. She is most interested in Bate’s work– “As a painter, I definitely lean more toward the abstract, or a loose type of painting with my brushstrokes,” she said, adding, “Ceramics are always interesting, too.”
“This diversity of media and modes of artistic expression is a testament to how each artist, despite their shared heritage, has found her own unique voice and creative aesthetic,” said Campbell. Viewers may be interested to discover how familial bonds influence the art, and whether similar themes bind the unique works together.
“I think it’d be honestly really cool, as someone who has a sister myself, to see the relationship and the comparison and contrast between [the pieces],” said art student Samantha Renken ‘27. She looks forward to seeing “the themes that reach throughout them, but then the different ways that they approach that through their medium.”
Campbell believes the show “celebrates the role of family in artistic development.” Having grown up a passionate artist with his own creative siblings, he appreciates the familial support reflected in the sisters’ upbringing. “I think Tony and Anette Barry must have done a great job of empowering their daughters… to pursue their God-given talents,” Campbell said. “HU and the Art department here also provide a sort of ‘family’ for young artists, and the investment of our Art faculty is reflected in the quality of the work these alumni are producing.”
On Saturday, November 7, the Ortlip Gallery will host a reception celebrating the Barry sisters and their work. Anyone is welcome to come and enjoy refreshments, art and a talk by the featured guests. The reception will run from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Regular gallery hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Saturday. ★
