Education:
Ithaca College BA 1992
University of Connecticut MFA 1997
In the age of the Anthropocene, I'm inspired by natural design and rhythms of growth. Human interaction on the environment is unavoidable. Every action has an impact. As a naturalist and gardener, I am always weighing my impact and reflecting on the larger picture. My current sculptures have been utilizing a ubiquitous material that seems unavoidable in contemporary culture: plastics. These sculptures employ recycled polyester-based products designed for gardening and consumer appetites. Through a process of repetition, the work becomes a meditation on where we are in this era, while realizing these works could be easily recycled into something new.
Teaching:
My studios emphasize the materiality of making. From observation to abstraction, I strive to discover individual sensibilities and inspire personal vision and invention.
- All levels of Sculpture
- All Levels of Drawing
- Two-Dimensional Design
- Theory + Practice: Professional Practices
Bio:
Bill Hastings in a multi-disciplinary artist, naturalist, gardener, collector, and explorer. He grew up in the Catskills and Adirondacks mountains. He graduated with honors from Ithaca College in 1992 with a BA in Planned Studies: a self-designed major. A strong interest in design and sculpture led him to pursue an MFA with a teaching fellowship from the University of Connecticut. He has been teaching at Ithaca College since 1998. As an entrepreneur, Bill started a graphic design and illustration business, and multiple businesses specializing in antique, vintage and unusual objects. An interest in art and community inspired starting the Greater Ithaca Art Trail and volunteering as an executive board member and community advisor for the Constance Saltonstall Foundation. He lives just outside of Ithaca and maintains a farmhouse and barn studio.
