Alumni Creatives

Calvert School alumni are leaders in every type of creative industry. Regardless of their artistic inclination, our alumni continue to shine in any capacity in which they work. It is no surprise that these creative pioneers received their foundation at Calvert which set the stage for their impressive journey.

Andrew Schapiro ’95 has built brands, teams, and products across industries, including in the publishing, conservation, and technology spheres. Andrew, a member of Calvert's Board of Trustees, recently joined Calm, an online mindfulness platform, as the company's first Executive Creative Director. Prior to Calm, he spent seven years at Airbnb during a period of rapid growth in which he started and grew a brand creative team, led an award-winning rebranding, and helped launch and steward Airbnb's mission and core values. In addition, Schapiro helped launch Airbnb Experiences, an e-commerce platform for hosts, and a print magazine whose distribution now exceeds that of nearly every other travel magazine. He left the company last year to pursue his own ideas, as he puts it, “at the cross-section of hospitality and community.” Andrew believes that great storytelling, design, and experiences can create moments of delight while developing deep, meaningful relationships between people and the world around them.

He says he was a designer as early as his Calvert days. “I just did not know what design meant at the time. Back then, I designed and produced newsletters out of my bedroom for friends, family, and anyone who would read them, so it's no surprise that I still love print projects.”

“My Calvert education has had a direct influence on my career. Being a designer and creative director requires more than creativity; it requires the ability to clearly communicate your ideas and advocate for the ideas of others.” Interestingly, Andrew often outlines ideas the same way he did for research projects at Calvert. “Though Apple Keynote has replaced posterboard, I see a clear connection

Allen Moore '64

between the way I handle a creative pitch and the way I presented in Twelfth Age.”

Andrew lives in San Francisco with his partner and their dog, a retriever named after his favorite ski mountain, Alta. He has served on Calvert’s Alumni Board since 2018.

For over 40 years, Allen Moore ’64 has been an independent filmmaker – producing, directing, photographing, and editing his 16mm documentary work. Throughout his professional career, Allen has served as a director of photography for several of Ken Burns’ historical films shown on PBS, including The Civil War, Baseball, Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Mark Twain, and Horatio’s Drive.

His continuous success has led him to receive multiple nominations: one in 1992 for an Academy Award in the Documentary Feature category for his cinematography on Wild by Law, two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievement on the Ken Burns' series Baseball in 1995, and in 2000 Ric Burns’ American Experience series New York. He also earned a George Foster Peabody Award in 2002 for his impressive cinematography skills on the Nebraska ETV/ American Experience Program Monkey Trial.

Andrew Schapiro '95

For the past 15 years, Allen has served as a faculty member in the Video and Film Department at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Allen credits Calvert for helping him to see the incredible diversity and richness of our world. The roots of his career as a documentary filmmaker were “planted in his soul at Calvert.”

Laura deBuys '66 Laura deBuys ’66 is president and executive director of The Picture House Regional Film Center in Pelham, New York. A nonprofit organization housed in a historic, renovated theater, the center screens films 364 days a year for more than 42,000 area residents and is involved in over 40 arts education programs, many of which are in under-resourced schools. Under her leadership, The Picture House has doubled its revenue and garnered increased support, including from the National Endowment of the Arts.“We believe strongly in art education, which is something we experienced at Calvert. At Calvert, we spent time on the arts and literature. It really does open kids up and allow them to express themselves in different ways.”

Laura’s journey after Calvert included time spent as an actress, Broadway stage manager, and marketing director for businesses and nonprofits. Today, those experiences have culminated in her dream job at The Picture House.

Left: Ru Belt '96 as a Twelvth Age student in the back left. Center: Ru Belt '96 Right: Paul Wallace '97

Laura has seen first-hand, both at Calvert and now in her Charlie Niccolini’s ’17 first musical was Calvert’s role at The Picture House, the critical role of arts education Oklahoma! when he was in Sixth Grade. He recalls, “The for children,“It’s important to recognize that children are thing I remember most about being in the show is the relamultifaceted and that you reach them in different ways. It tionships that I formed with the other students in the cast. is vital to be aware of the impact that art has on children Along with having a daily opportunity for me to spend and how arts education can impact the trajectory of their time with my friends, the show also allowed me to get to lives. It is not something we can afford to ignore.” know older students whom I would never have interacted Reuel “Ru” Belt ’96 excelled as an the Middle School contributed to his artist, musician, writer, and thespipassion for musical theater. an at Calvert. In drama class and on stage, Belt found his voice performing A current student at Gilman, Charlie in West Side Story and other class plays, continues to follow his dreams of including Nativity Scene, Odyssey, and receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Robin Hood, in which he assumed the musical theater and becoming a prorole of Little John. He still recalls the fessional actor. By opening the door energy and improv skills he gained to theater at a young age, “Calvert set from playing the character, and the me on the path to achieving a career valuable lessons learned from acting in the performing arts.” in a supporting role, “The supporting characters stand by the lead, guide, Paul Wallace ’97 is an award-winand accompany them through chalning creative director and executive lenges. Just as each scene must move - PAUL WALLACE '97 producer of commercial productions the plot forward, each supporting inside the virtual world. He cofoundcharacter must assist with the development of the lead chared and is leading the video game department at AV Squad, acter. Without Little John, the story doesn't exist.” a creative advertising agency in Hollywood. He has over a Since Calvert, Ru has worked on national commercials, tives for clients such as Activision, Ubisoft, and Bethesda Netflix’s House of Cards, and performed in Suzan Lori Softworks. Past projects include The Walking Dead, Marvel Parks’ Pulitzer winning play TopDog/UnderDog. He is the Universe Live, and the Assassin's Creed franchise. He revice president and producer for Intangible Minds. This past ceived his Bachelor of Arts in Arts from Brown University year, Ru opened his own company and is working on a and his Master of Arts from Stanford University. production in the Baltimore area. “Performing, public with had I not done the musical.” His formative years at decade of experience leading video game marketing initiaspeaking, being comfortable on stage, and articulating all “Calvert was foundational to my creative career path. At started at Calvert.” Calvert, everything we had to say as young people was

Betsey Swingle Hobelmann '87

treated with such dignity. This leaves a lasting impact. I've carried this confidence with me ever since.” Paul also credits the inside of the Luetkemeyer Planetarium for expanding his capacity for wonder. “I still think about it every day. Each trip to the Planetarium, down that stairway painted with stars and paper mâché planets, began with drama and anticipation. As the lights faded and the tour through the cosmos began, my imagination caught fire with possibilities. By the time the sun rose and the stars faded, I felt restored and energized.”

Betsey Swingle Hobelmann ’87 first fell in love with musical theater productions and a capella at Calvert. At Yale, she joined an all-female a capella group that took her all over the U.S. and the world. After Yale, she moved to New York, where she engaged in a variety of pursuits, including musical theater and cabaret.

When she moved from New York, she realized cabaret performances were non-existent in Baltimore until Germano's in Little Italy opened a cabaret space on the second floor. Betsey has performed there every other year for about ten years – “just me, my pianist, Sterling, and about 15 to 20 songs. I hope to get a show together in the fall of 2020.”

In 2012, Betsey helped establish a charter school, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, and was the board chair for seven years. She has served on the board for Stage One at the Baltimore School for the Arts for 20 years and is now a member of Calvert’s Board of Trustees.

According to Betsey, “Creativity at Calvert was the first thing that sparked my love for art and music. I loved art classes with Nancy Hopkins, and the first time I realized I could sing was in Eleventh Age in Mr. Hardesty's music class. The plays and dance assemblies put us on stage in front of hundreds of people, which was both nerve-racking and thrilling.”

Calvert is proud to celebrate the creativity of all our alumni and remains committed to its integration as a core component of the Calvert curriculum.

Nancy Hopkins

Above: Mother's Day self portraits by Andrew Schapiro '95, made in Nancy Hopkins' art class.

Nancy Hopkins is an often-cited favorite former teacher who inspired many students in her time instructing art in the Lower School. “Creativity to me is inspiring young people and Calvert gave me the freedom to do what I wanted to do in my class. Art wasn’t just coloring, it was creating. I remember every Mother’s Day my students made self-portraits. I mounted and framed them, and they took them home. They were so proud.”