Celebrating the life and art of Kristen Croxton ’09

The life and artwork of the late Kristen Croxton will be celebrated during a special ceremony on the Hanover College campus.

Area residents are invited to join family members, friends and campus community members for the dedication of a permanent display of Croxton’s artwork and the first presentation of a memorial scholarship in her honor. The event will be held at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 20, in Lynn Center for Fine Arts.

A 2005 Southwestern High School graduate and 2009 Hanover graduate, Croxton tragically died in a car accident, Feb. 14, 2021. Though just 34 years old, she led a vibrant life as a mother, artist, illustrator, photographer and musician.

Croxton was a member of the Madison Area Art Club for more than 15 years and her artwork continues to be showcased in numerous galleries and area businesses. She taught art classes to children and adults in the community and was a consultant on local art projects. In addition, her illustrations were featured in author Patrice Joy’s three-book children’s series, “Healing Feelings,” which addressed mental health, autism, dyslexia, rehabilitation and many other issues facing school-aged children.

The ceremony will feature the dedication of Croxton’s award-winning piece, “Possible Possibilities.” The artwork earned Hanover’s Mary Louise Greiner Student Art Award in 2009. The College’s top student art honor, the Greiner Award is presented each year to showcase the best of what the College’s students have produced through their educational and artistic pursuits.

Croxton’s winning piece, which features a therapeutic blending of small, colorful tiles, has been installed in a permanent shadowbox, encased in glass and mounted in Hanover’s fine arts building.

The event will also be highlighted by the presentation of the first Kristen Alexandra Croxton Memorial Scholarship. The award will be presented annually to a deserving art major in recognition of Croxton’s giving spirit.