Friends’ artwork finds a home in Harper president’s office

Otto Kowalski and Rebecca “Becky” Reck have shared plenty during their time as friends. They grew up in Schaumburg, met during junior year at Schaumburg High School and later found themselves both studying art at Harper College.

Now, their artwork shares a home, too.

The 21-year-old Harper alumni are the 2026 recipients of Harper’s President’s Art Selection Award. Their works, selected by Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper’s president, have been installed in the president’s office, where they will remain throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Each student also received a stipend.

Both pieces began with found objects, but Otto and Becky transformed those materials in distinctly personal ways. For Becky, inspiration came while searching her house for an unconventional surface to use for a painting class assignment. Opening a bathroom cabinet, she spotted a Band-Aid box.

“I was literally going around my house, thinking, ‘What can I paint on that isn’t going to make my parents mad at me?’” Becky remembered with a laugh. “I opened my bathroom cabinet and saw the box. I had just gotten bloodwork done and had a Band-Aid put on me.”

Her piece, “Crohn’s,” uses acrylic paint and micron pen to turn the box into a reflection on her experience living with Crohn’s disease. Becky painted the small and large intestines, along with a needle representing blood draws and IV infusions. The dollar bills she painted on the sides symbolize the expense of medical treatment.

“As the saying goes, ‘health is wealth.’ With health care being a challenge for many and the dollar signs on this piece, I thought, ‘This speaks to the moment,’” Dr. Proctor said. “This can resonate with our students, employees and community, and bringing attention to their experiences with this piece is important.”

Becky graduated from Harper in December and is taking a gap year to focus on her health before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in art history. She came to Harper after her sister attended and took nearly every art-related course she could as she figured out what direction she wanted to pursue. An art history class provided the answer.

Otto’s sculpture, “Ottobiography,” also breathes new life into existing objects. Created for a sculpture class, the work combines found objects with steel brazing rods and was inspired by a research collaboration assignment involving artist Mark Dion.

An open antique box serves as a foundation for other objects including a colorful, steel structure that reflects what Otto describes as his own meditative approach to making art. Professor Jason Peot, who installed both pieces in the President’s Office, discussed how “Ottobiography” was able to balance Dion’s inspiration as a collector of items with Otto’s abilities as a maker. Harper’s president was drawn to this balance.

“This one was fun and it reminded me of my childhood,” said Dr. Proctor, pointing out the clothespins and seashells that are part of Otto’s sculpture, along with a brooch that belonged to his grandmother. “There can be beauty in items which are repurposed and gain a new life, as they certainly do in this piece.”

Otto graduated from Harper after studying fine arts and plans to continue his education at a four-year institution, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with the goal of working as a freelance artist with his own studio. He credits Harper with giving him an opportunity to move beyond the digital art he had done previously to explore other forms – including his new favorite medium, brazing rods.

“I love art so much, but I didn’t take as many art classes in high school,” said Otto, who explained that his path was changed by a Design II course at Harper. “In that class, I found I really loved doing 3D art.”

Becky excitedly remembered Otto’s enthusiasm for the course and discussed his support for her painting. She credits him, along with Professor Perry Pollock, for convincing her to display “Crohn’s” at Harper. After doing do, both Becky and Otto’s pieces were selected for this award.

Otto said he’ll most remember the fun he had as a Harper student, especially in his art courses. Becky reflected on the community she found here.

“I liked the smaller classes, because you get to know people easier, especially as someone who is shy,” she said. “It was easy because I could maybe talk to one person and then they’ll introduce me to another person and, pretty soon, I’m talking to every person in the class and friends with everybody. Then you can help each other on projects or homework.”