Meet Ashley Smith Wallace, ‘10 and Chad Wallace, ‘11, who found each other as undergraduates at Manhattanville during the late 2000’s.

Ashley graduated in 2010 with a degree in Dance and Theater, and Chad graduated a year later with a degree in Communication Studies. During their time on campus, both were heavily involved in extracurricular clubs and activities, with Ashley being a proud member of Dance Troup and Dance Ensemble. Chad, having transferred to Manhattanville at the start of his sophomore year, was a valued member of the Valiant Baseball team during all three seasons that he attended Manhattanville. They now live in Connecticut with their two beautiful children, a 5-year old and a 17-month old.  

We recently had an opportunity to catch up with the happy couple and what follows is an excerpt of that conversation. 

Can you describe your overall experience at Manhattanville? Are there moments or experiences that stand out most when you think back on your time here? 

Ashley - These were the best 4 years of my life in more ways than I can ever be able to explain. The relationships forged and friends I’ve made, not only shaped my college days, but every year since graduating, my friends have been there for me every step of the way, I would not be the woman I am today without them in my life. 

Chad - Because it’s a smaller campus, I was able to fully immerse myself not just as a student, but as a person. Being part of the baseball program taught me discipline, accountability, and how to be part of something bigger than myself, while the close-knit community exposed me to people from all walks of life and perspectives I may not have encountered otherwise. And on a more personal note, Manhattanville also gave me my greatest gift: I met my wife at Manhattanville! It’s a reminder that the moments that shape your life most aren’t always on the syllabus. 

How did you meet? 

Ashley and Chad - We met for the first time downstairs in Brownson Hall outside the Little Theatre, Ashley was going into the theatre for rehearsal and myself and a few of our friends were coming out of an Intro class at the time.  

What are some of your favorite memories of your relationship while you were both on campus? 

Ashley and Chad - Some of our favorite memories from our relationship during college are rooted in the simple, everyday moments that Manhattanville made possible. Thank God for the smoothie stand that used to be in Flik Cafeteria. If I didn’t love smoothies so much, I might never have walked right by Ashley, taking her breath away. That space, along with our mutual friends, gave us the chance to get to know each other quickly, which was especially meaningful since we didn’t meet until her final semester.  

Also, those early Dunkin’ Donuts runs off campus before class! Those eventually turned into daytime dates, and they became some of our favorite routines. But what truly ignited our relationship was meeting right before I left for Spring Training in Florida with the baseball team (yes, we took the bus). While I was away, during my downtime from baseball, Ashley and I talked about our lives, our goals and values, and by the time I came back, it felt like we had known each other for years.  

Looking back, Manhattanville didn’t just give us memories; it gave us the environment, timing, and people that helped turn a chance meeting into the relationship to which we could build our lives upon. 

How did you two get married? 

Ashley and Chad - We’ve been married for almost nine years now and we’ll celebrate our anniversary on May 27th. I asked her to marry me on August 30th, 2015, outside the Pasadena Playhouse in California, where Ashley was performing West Side Story at Fireside Theatre. Because she is a dancer and performer, I wanted the moment to feel personal and meaningful and something that reflected her love for theatre and the arts. 

Are you still in touch with your friends from Manhattanville? 

Ashley and Chad – Yes, 1000%. Not a day goes by where we don’t talk or think about all our friends and relationships that were built because of Manhattanville.  

How have those relationships evolved over time?  

Ashley and Chad – Our friends play such an important role in our lives now, if not more than ever. They’re the people who have walked along side of us from before our marriage, through parenthood and throughout all the beautiful chaos in between. They show up for our kids and love them like their own. They remind us that none of this is meant to be done alone.  

What advice would you give to current Manhattanville students? 

Ashley and Chad – There will be a day when you will beg to go back and put the baseball uniform or dance clothes back on one more time. So, do not coast, don’t complain, win the day, win the rep, win the moment. Because you are living the years that you will talk about for the rest of your lives.  

About 91����

91���� (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social responsibility. “U.S. News and World Report” ranks Manhattanville among the Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. The university has been recognized among the best colleges in The Princeton Review for close to 20 years. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,400 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities, and 23 NCAA Division III teams.  For more information, visit mville.edu   

Artist's Statement

I had a dream about a friend who was able to unzip his body and revealed a squirrel inside. He then reached into his fur and uncovered several different animals inside all with more zippers. I think of that dream often when I make my art.

Letter from the Curator Alkananda Mukerji

The Manhattanville Studio Art Department is pleased to present Tim Ross’ exhibition "These images came from my monotypes.”

Tim Ross, a New York and New Jersey-based painter, printmaker, and digital artist, offers incredible new work that manifests as an engaging statement of his dreams. The Exhibition opened on February 1, 2024, and runs until March 15, 2024, in the college’s Berger Art Gallery at the Berman Student Center. 

Professor Ross remains current with the younger generations and technology, taking the time to teach himself Photoshop and the mindset behind digital platforms in the vital art forms. We can see this in his latest creative works in this Exhibition. All the images were created digitally. Tim has created hundreds of digital pieces, several of which have been exhibited in this series, called "These images came from my monotypes”.

The prints draw a thin line between his paintings, printmaking, and digital art. His artwork shows an uncommon sincerity and passion for making art every day. Tim says he creates his dreams in artworks ranging from flying elephants to strange aquatic creatures.

Everyone who knows Tim should not be surprised in the slightest that this is what he dreams about. Tim loves humor; he loves his puppets, toys, and illustration books. This endearing quality comes out very clearly in his

artwork. Many of his works depict faces, animals, water, sky, body parts, trees, and spaceships. These images are sometimes deformed, distorted, twisted, collaged, mangled, multilayered, monstrous, unnatural, surrealist,

peculiar, or just plain weird. These otherworldly qualities enhance the beauty of his work.

It is a testament to his creativity that he is always eager to experiment further. He does not want to limit himself to a single medium. One can almost feel his adventures in his dreams as if we are entering his labyrinthine of dreams themselves and participating in them.

Tim comes from an internationally known artist family. His parents, John Ross and Clare Romano, were well-known printmakers and educators. John Ross taught at Manhattanville for over 30 years. He designed the

college’s prestigious seal. The seal is still used as a symbol of the college on our certificates. Professor Clare Romano taught at the Pratt Institute.

Very early on in his academic career, Professor Ross co-wrote the second edition of “The Complete Printmaker” with his parents. This book details techniques, traditions, and innovations in the medium. The book

teaches step-by-step techniques of over 45 printmaking techniques, from traditional etching, engraving, lithography, screen printing, the relief print process, and tday’s digital prints.

Professor Ross is loved and adored by his students. He is a brilliant artist and a devoted teacher. Manhattanville and the Studio Art Department are grateful to have Professor Ross as an educator, friend, and colleague.

Please contact Professor Ross at Tim.Ross@mville.edu for any further inquiries.

Introduction by Randy Williams

"It is the business of mythology proper, and of the fairy tale, to reveal the specific dangers and techniques of the dark interior way from tragedy to comedy."

- Joseph Campbell “The Hero with A Thousand Faces”

Artmaking records our history and, in the process of doing so, creates a system of wonder and inquiry. By creating a system of inquiry, the artist creates a catalog of inexhaustible questions; these questions ensure the quality of the product through practice and process. This experience is visible in Tim Ross’ newest artwork. Tim Ross has an intuitive and intelligent approach to arranging collage elements on flat surfaces. His content reads like a cryptic myth. His formal structures are stately and well-proportioned, with a masterful application of color combinations. There is a graceful manipulation of the background and foreground that creates a seamless harmony. This is illustrated in “Green Wing Purple” 50” x 35 “2023. This attention to both content and form can be seen in his entire portfolio.

“Green Wing Purple”  

Tim considers his selected images in his digital anthology carefully before using them; each image becomes an object for elevation. Like Robert Rauschenberg and Romare Bearden, Tim Ross has a meaningful and holistic approach to arranging collage elements. The magic of Tim’s artwork is its ability to create unique combinations. These visual combinations invite the viewers to see intimately and intensely. Tim has followed a long tradition of artists like Pablo Picasso, Kurt Schwitters, Max Ernst, Wangechi Mutu, Hannah Hoch, Robert Rauschenberg, and Romare Bearden. Like these artists, Tim has advanced storytelling. His artwork has an intense classification of arranged and rearranged images. His visual narratives are compelling. They are well-researched and brilliantly detailed. Tim’s artwork offers the viewers an opportunity to slow down and view the worlds of art constructed of both fact and fiction. Tim has merged art and technology to create an inclusive art form. He continues to use the “tried and true” tradition of collage-making to tell his endless stories. Unraveling the mysteries of the universe is just one of the challenges of the artist. Like a scientist, the artist employs critical reasoning to select and disentangle aesthetic problems. Tim examines the physical world by collecting images. Collecting quality images is an art form in and of itself. His knowledge of digital techniques helps to organize well-structured narratives. 

Tim Ross is an astute student of history; he has an extensive knowledge of art history, mythology, and universal folktales. This wealth of information has helped him create a body of cutting-edge prints. His knowledge of traditional practices combined with new technologies has allowed him to create artwork that is current and unique. Tim has separated his body of artwork from the norm by fusing together conventional aesthetic elements with non-contemporary aesthetic elements. Tim has used his mastery of physical manipulation to aid with his use of digital manipulation. Tim Ross has created a thoughtful art style. His unrestricted view of visual information creates a powerful selection of ready-to-use images. Tim’s images are personal, iconic, historic, and pedestrian. His collection consists of his traditional drawings, prints, and paintings. Other images arrive at content from digital references and daily life. Tim Ross’ Artwork is cutting-edge contemporary yet wedded to traditional practice and physical manipulation of the visual elements. He is in step with art and the new technology.

Yet, by all accounts, Tim combines the familiar with the unfamiliar to create a new familiar. Tim is leading the way with his new artwork, and the history of art is always within reach as he looks over his shoulder. 

Learn more about Manhattanville's Art Studio Program

About Manhattanville

We Are Valiant

Since 1841, Manhattanville College has provided a transformative educational experience.  As a private liberal arts institution, Manhattanville roots its education in a rich history of academic excellence and innovative programs. With more than 55 undergraduate programs, 70 graduate programs, and a doctoral program, we empower every student to cultivate their intellectual curiosity, sharpen their critical thinking skills, and strive for a more just world.

Visit Campus

Our History and Legacy

Since its origins as a Catholic boarding school to its present day as a non-denominational, co-ed private university, Manhattanville College has evolved to meet the needs of students who seek a more just world. A haven for independent thinking and socially conscious values, our interdisciplinary education is rooted in the liberal arts and experiential learning. 

Founded in 1841 in New York City as a boarding school and parochial school for women, Manhattanville College has consistently strived to expand higher education to all sectors of society. Under the visionary leadership of President Grace Dammann, R.S.C.J., Manhattanville College voted to admit African-American students in 1938 and we have continuously worked to create a more inclusive student body. Today, over a third of our students identify as first-generation, and even more consider themselves BIPOC. We are also a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, a reflection of our increasingly diverse community. 

We have also grown in other ways. When Manhattanville College officially took over the former estate of diplomat Whitelaw Reid in Westchester in 1952, we cemented our role in the educational development of the region. The U.S. News and World Report named us as the #1 private college for social mobility in New York. Students volunteer over 30,000 hours of community service through the Clark Center for Social Justice. The School of Education offers the highest number of programs and additional support through the Changing Suburbs Institute’s network of Professional Development Schools. Nursing candidates complete clinic hours in local organizations, providing patient-centered care to the area. 

We are proof of how academic excellence, a commitment to social justice, and a global outlook can transform students and, by extension, society.

Explore Mville History

Location

Manhattanville College benefits from both the peaceful beauty of Westchester County and the vibrant, non-stop energy of New York City. The 100-acre campus provides a safe and comfortable environment where every student’s intellectual life can blossom with the unparalleled professional opportunities of a world-class city, only 30 miles away. 

Reid Castle, a 19th-century architectural gem, anchors the campus and houses the Welcome Center, Admissions, Financial Aid, and several event spaces. Designed by famed Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the picturesque green quad hosts our academic buildings and centers, the college library, four performance facilities, and fifteen new or renovated science and nursing labs.

The campus also boasts two historic chapels. The architect Maya Lin restored one, Lady Chapel, to include a glass roof, located near the new Ohnell Environmental Center, a non-invasive structure that reflects Manhattanville College’s commitment to sustainability. Our newest building, the Richard A. Berman Student Center, received a LEED gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition to our four residence halls and dining hall, students enjoy amenities like a campus market and store and comprehensive athletic facilities, including a fitness center, tennis courts, an ice rink, a baseball and softball field, and an indoor turf facility. 

We are a short car, train, or bus ride from New York and the city’s main airports. We are also easily accessible by car from anywhere in the TriState area and can also be reached via the Metro-North Railroad from NYC Grand Central Terminal or Westchester’s Bee-Line bus. 

Plan Your Visit