Threads of Knowledge
Ohio Wesleyan Students, Professors Travel to Italy to Present, Learn More About Generative Art
Name: Elsa Hoam '27
Hometown: Fredericktown, Ohio
High School: Homeschooled
Majors: Classical Studies and Fine Arts
Name: Josiah Montgomery '27
Hometown: Sunbury, Ohio
High School: Big Walnut High School
Major: Fine Arts
OWU Connection Experience: Using a Theory-to-Practice Grant to travel to Italy in December to attend the three-day Generative Art International Conference in Rome and visit museums with pieces of academic interest
Hoam and Montgomery traveled with OWU professors Craig Jackson, Ph.D., Mathematics & Computer Science; Jeffrey Nilan, MFA, Fine Arts; and Camilla Querin, Ph.D., Fine Arts. Jackson and Nilan have created a digitally controlled Jacquard loom that creates intricate fabrics using miniature "servo" motors to precisely control the warps and wefts of the weaving process. They also have team taught a course on generative art.
Of their trip to Italy, Jackson stated: "For student participants, this is a rare opportunity that allows them to discuss the work they have been producing in our studios and classrooms with an international audience. For faculty participants, this conference is directly relevant to their scholarly and artistic research in generative design for textiles and generative aspects of indigenous art."
Expanding On-Campus Learning
Hoam: "[A]fter spending the fall 2025 semester working directly with professors Nilan and Jackson to create a generative weaving, Josiah and I traveled with both of them and Professor Querin to Rome, Italy, to present on our work at The Generative Arts Conference 2025. Along the way to Rome, we stopped in Milan and Florence to learn more about the history of art and textiles. We have both previously taken art history courses at OWU, so it was amazing to get the opportunity to see some of the art we studied firsthand."
Montgomery: "I presented at the conference with Dr. Jackson on our research, while Professor Nilan presented with Elsa Hoam on what they had been working on during the course of the previous semester. Camilla Querin … also presented at the conference her research pertaining to the generative nature of Tupinambá cloaks."
Why This Experience?
Hoam: "I have always had an interest in traveling to Italy, and I believed that the opportunity to present at an art conference in front of peers from all over the world would be an important step in my academic career, and would hopefully help prepare me for events like this in my future."
Montgomery: "Artwork being generative is important to my field of study, in particular due to the rising popularity of artificial intelligence, but also because there are many more 'non-AI' approaches to the subject that often get overlooked that we should see.
"I myself worked on an independent study this past semester with Dr. Craig Jackson, in which we used our digitally controlled Jacquard loom to experiment with intermediate shaft switching in combination with a randomly selected tile design I had made. It was rewarding to have the opportunity to present this work at the conference and contribute to the conversation concerning generative art."
Favorite Moments
Montgomery: "It's hard to pin a favorite considering all that was packed into the trip, but one particularly memorable moment was getting to see a film screening and Q&A with Nan Goldin, a prominent photographer whose work I became familiar with in beginning photo class. It just so happened that we were in town the night of her talk. For me, it was nice having opportunities to engage with different aspects of my education so far in conjunction with the main goal of the trip."
Hoam: "I think my favorite moment from this experience is when we would all sit down at dinner at the end of a long day of traveling, presenting, or sightseeing. I had so much fun learning about and trying the cultural foods in Italy, and spending time with my peers and professors. I enjoyed getting to know them more and getting to know Italy through its food."
I will always have something to learn more about in whatever field I go into. No matter what I do in the future, there will always be someone who knows more than me, but I will also always be able to teach someone something.
Lessons Learned
Montgomery: "Italy itself was a great location to visit from an art history lens. Many of the sites, paintings, and sculptures were directly talked about in the survey art history courses, so it was incredible to experience all of those in person and up close. Especially traveling with Dr. Querin, since she was able to give us even more background information about not only the art, but the locations themselves. It would not have been nearly as impactful an experience had that aspect not been a part of it.
"The conference was a good opportunity for us to share what we have been working on up to that point with generative textile weaving. It was also interesting to be exposed to what others around the globe are working on as well. ... It was important to get that sense of where our work related and deviated from what others were researching, and ultimately gave us a fresh perspective towards how we can keep working and exploring more in the future with generation in textile design."
Hoam: "I learned that I will always have something to learn more about in whatever field I go into, no matter what I do in the future, there will always be someone who knows more than me, but I will also always be able to teach someone something. I have had experiences that other people have not, and I can use that experience to help someone following in my footsteps, and there will always be someone ahead of me that will be able to help me. "
Campus Involvements
Montgomery: "I'm very involved with the Fine Arts department. I'm also a member of the Student Led Art Movement and the Marching Band."
Hoam: "I am involved in varsity cross country and varsity indoor and outdoor track & field."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Montgomery: "I liked the idea of getting a well-shaped liberal arts education as well as being afforded opportunities to take my education outside of the traditional campus setting through the connection experience."
Hoam: "I chose OWU for this experience. I was drawn by how much OWU encourages students to go abroad and learn."
Plans After Graduation
Hoam: "After graduation, I plan on attending grad school for archeology or ancient art studies. OWU has helped prepare me for this by allowing me to pursue multiple majors at once and explore my interests."
Montgomery: "After graduation, I plan to go to grad school. OWU, and the Fine Arts program in particular, has been instrumental in pushing me as an individual, on top of all the different experiences they've been able to provide for me to expand my scope and prepare me for life after OWU. The faculty work with the students' best interests in mind, and that has made a big impact on my undergraduate education."