Faculty Spotlight: Caleb Portfolio

By: Abby Leyson

Visual Arts teacher Caleb Portfolio has been a valued member of Westover’s community since 2013, playing a pivotal role in shaping the School’s Photography Program. We take great pride in his contributions to Westover and his achievements as an artist. In addition to teaching photography classes, Caleb teaches video production, AP 2D Design, and is the Director of the Schumacher Gallery on campus. Outside of his primary teaching roles, Caleb is deeply involved in student life. He serves as a School Photographer for Westover’s annual traditions and is an advisor for The Lantern, Westover’s poetry and art magazine. 

Throughout his years teaching, Caleb shared that the best part about working at Westover is seeing his students grow as artists. Every year, Westover photography students earn awards for their work and even get to have their work featured in shows. This fall semester, three of Caleb’s students were featured in the annual After School Arts Program Celebration of Young Photographers contest, where 283 students from 58 towns across Connecticut submitted a total of 463 photos. It was thrilling to receive the news from Caleb that three talented Westover students made the top 60 finalists and had their work featured at the juried art exhibition in the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. 

Caleb’s dedication to fostering creativity and excellence in his students continues to leave a lasting impact on the Westover community. His passion for the arts and commitment to his students’ growth exemplify the spirit of innovation and faculty support that defines Westover.

Get to Know Caleb in His Own Words: 

• Where is your classroom/office? Photography Lab
• How many exhibitions have you been selected to be in? In the past 5 years I've been in 20 exhibitions, including ones in Rome, Hungary, and South Korea. I've made a personal goal to exhibit work in every state, and right now I'm up to 10. 
• Favorite Westover meal: Brunch for Lunch! 
• Favorite Westover tradition: Lantern. Being one of the advisors for The Lantern has been really special the last few years. I love playing an important role in one of the most lovely traditions at the school, and it always brings me joy to watch everyone open their copy of The Lantern for the first time. 
• What is your favorite thing about working at Westover? Two things. One, I have a fantastic studio space full of professional photography equipment that I use alongside students to make artwork. Our darkroom setup is amazing and I can spend hours in there working on my own projects. More importantly, the students are the best part of teaching at Westover. I have been so lucky over the years to teach students that really CARE about art and photography. It is amazing to see students who take multiple classes grow into confident art makers. Westover students are great creative thinkers, and working with them is the best part of my day.
• What is the highlight of your year so far? Anytime I get to celebrate my students’ artwork and see them get accepted into shows is a highlight for me. All of my students make amazing work and when their work is chosen to be included in exhibits off campus, it proves that something special is happening down in the photo lab. An extra highlight for the year so far was having three of my pieces accepted into the Five Points Gallery Small Works exhibit, alongside Daniela Mancini ’23, one of my former photography students. 
• What do you find most rewarding about teaching photography at Westover, and how has it influenced your growth as an artist? Helping students discover breakthroughs in their work is INCREDIBLY rewarding. I love the moments when a student is invested in a long term project and then gets stuck. It creates an opportunity for the student to reflect on what they've done and then try something wildly different. Experimenting, taking risks, and being ok with mistakes are one of the best things any artist can do in their art practice. It is immensely satisfying when I get to witness a student have an "A-HA!" moment, and then try something new with their work that breaks new ground for them. Witnessing this year after year has helped me get better at doing it myself, and I've become a better art maker as a result. 
• Who is your hero? My high school photography teacher, Ms J. Before I had her as a teacher, I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school. I had no idea that you could actually go to college to study art! She opened my eyes to possibilities I never considered, and always encouraged all of my weird ideas. One of my personal goals as a teacher is to honor her, and hopefully do the same thing for my students that she did for me. 
• What is the first question you wish people would ask to get to know you? If you want to get to know me, ask me what brought me joy today. It helps me reflect on the good things that are happening in my life, even on days when it feels like there isn't much to be joyful about. I'll give you an honest answer and you might learn things about me that you might not know. 
• Tell us about your dream day. I would get up early and have enough energy to actually do some exercise. I'd have some coffee from my parent's coffee roasting shop, a bagel sandwich, and head to a museum or gallery with any new contemporary photography or video work...the more abstract the better! I'd grab a pizza for lunch and bring it to the studio where I would blast some of my favorite music (currently Nine Inch Nails and Nirvana in case you were wondering) while experimenting in the darkroom. After making several prints, I'd go home to spend time with my two sons and eat dinner. After they are in bed, I'd end the day with a fun game of Dungeons and Dragons with friends.