13 minute read
Arts
Examining Landscapes, Growing Artists
The strong Gilman visual arts program encourages boys to grow their artistic personas. The opportunities available to our students are as limitless as the imagination, and their experiences mold the boys into well-rounded young men with lifelong appreciation for the arts.
One such endeavor occurred when Lower School art teacher Trevlin Alexander guided second graders in examining an array of landscapes — mountain, coastal, flat, and fantasy — while searching for common characteristics in each. The boys then created their own distinct watercolor landscapes, which gave them an opportunity to experiment with a bit of whimsy as they selected color combinations. Using a tape-resist technique, each student populated his landscape with birch trees, and many chose to add a tire swing or a hammock and gently falling snow as a finishing touch.
Charlie Piraino
Garrett Root Steele Stock
Sam Burgin
Hugo Tovar
Eighth Graders Experience D.C. and Van Gogh Seventh graders always look forward to their end-of-year excursion to Washington, D.C., where teachers guide students through several monuments and memorials to discuss the historical context, design qualities, and symbolic significance created by the designers, architects, and sculptors. Since last year’s seventh graders missed this opportunity due to the pandemic, the-noweighth-grade students headed to our nation’s capital with an added stop to Vincent Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience on Thursday, April 14.
In art class last year, they studied historical accounts of Van Gogh’s life, specifically as it pertains to his mental health and art-making. This year, they completed lessons on markmaking within landscape drawings, utilizing Van Gogh’s work as references.
The D.C. tour traditionally complements history and art curricula, with the World War II and Vietnam Veterans memorials of particular focus and interest. During this visit, students learned that 39 Gilman alumni and one faculty member lost their lives in WWII. They were encouraged to read the inscriptions on the memorial walls in order to find another Gilman connection: a quotation from alum, author, and namesake of the Middle School library, Walter Lord ’35.
Students also learned about the Vietnam War experience, as conveyed by Lance Bendann ’63, a Vietnam War veteran. Before the field trip, Bendann reached out to former classmates who also served so he could document their stories. When his son, Middle School history teacher Chris Bendann ’03, shared the compiled accounts from Gilman alumni with the students at the memorial site, it was a truly meaningful experience.
Finding Their Way in Art
The following pieces were created by students in Karl Connolly’s Advanced Studio Art class.
“The Upper School senior art space is a wondrous place. Occupied this year by 12 young artists, the sense of community was palpable,” Connolly said. “It is a singular privilege to work alongside such terrific young artists as they work to find their way in art.”
“SENSORY OVERLOAD” OIL ON CANVAS, 24X24 BY MAC NICHOLS ’22
There exists a kind of utility to art. It is more than the abstract, time-wasting, and seemingly pretentious activity that many “pragmatic” thinkers make it out to be. It is a tool through which we seek to understand. For me, art has served as a large exercise in empathy. I paint to better understand the life of my autistic brother, as well as bring that experience to others. In this painting, for example, I explore the idea of sensory overload: an often overlooked but extraordinarily debilitating portion of the autistic experience.
“TRADITIONS, TRADITIONS” OIL ON CANVAS, 24X36 BY MATT GROSSMAN ’22
What’s so special about Gilman’s studio art program are the people that comprise it. Growing as an artist, student, and person for four years with the same group of people and under the instruction of the same teacher — Mr. Connolly — builds a classroom culture like no other. The people in the art program are some of my best friends, and the times we spent in the art room are some of my fondest memories.
My thesis focuses on nostalgia: small moments of joy that make our Gilman experiences so personal and powerful. My work explores themes of ‘growing-up’ and ‘fitting in’ — ideas central to my experience in the Studio Art program at Gilman.
“THE DOCKING” OIL ON CANVAS, 24X30 BY CAL TORTOLANI ’22
I feel like art and the community surrounding it are like a golf course. You rarely go to a golf course and see amateurs hitting the ball into every obstacle possible. The art community is similar as it often gives off an expert-only type of vibe. Nevertheless, I have cherished my four years as a slightly under-qualified art student. For me, art doesn’t need to have some bearing sense of depth or purpose behind it. If you want to paint a barn, go do it, and I do it a lot. Just like how Chef Gusteau says “anyone can cook,” anyone can make art.
“SPRING BREAK” OIL ON WOODEN PANEL, 12X12 BY AARON MENG ’22
Coming into the art program at Gilman, I was ready to tackle the complex world of art making. Through numerous successes and perhaps even more failures, I slowly developed my technical abilities, understanding ideas like color matching, composition, positive shape, and negative space. But looking back on my earlier works, I see images, not art. As I gained more freedom to pursue my independent study, I discovered the real key to art: inquiry. Unlike math or grammar, art is not learned through a set of rules. To approach the discipline, there must be action and engagement. And as I leave the art program four years later, I see the true value of art. There exists an emotion and history that lies far beyond the technical elements — the true difference between an image and a work of art.
This series, created for the Personal Directions II course, aims to display the disruption of patterns found in nature by human intervention. I used drone photography to reveal humanmade creations like roads, houses, trails, and even farm equipment that disrupt natural patterns. I photographed areas in and around Baltimore that people pass by on a regular basis to reveal the impact that humans have on nature from an aerial perspective that people usually don’t observe. I have noticed several recurring patterns in nature and, for the most part, these patterns seem disorderly or chaotic unless influenced by humans. On the other hand, patterns found in human-made objects are much more orderly and geometrical when seen from an aerial view. When driving on the road or walking around a neighborhood, you might not observe this contrast, but when viewed from above, there is a clear separation between what is human-made and what is natural.
Upper School students from Gilman, Bryn Mawr, and RPCS performed “Clue” January 27-29. Audiences witnessed a very unusual dinner party where each of the guests had an alias, the butler offered a variety of weapons, and the host was found … murdered! Attendees laughed from the edges of their seats as they enjoyed this whodunnit-madcap-comedy based on the cult-classic film and the popular board game.
Artistic Challenges Inspire Creativity Q&A WITH “CLUE” DIRECTOR JOHN ROWELL
How did you decide to do a staged reading again?
We had a good experience last year with “The Government Inspector” in the staged reading format. I knew then that I wanted that show to look and feel like a fully staged production, with the exception being that actors would mostly be at music stands reading from their scripts, and I felt we achieved that. I was excited to try it again, and “Clue” seemed like a good piece to do in this format. It also has a lot of obvious name recognition. Everybody has played the board game at some point in their lives!
How was it received by the students and/or the audience?
The play is very funny, and we gave the audience a good time. It’s silly fun, which it’s meant to be, and the script is a nice combination of verbal wit and physical comedy and sight-gags, which I felt we were able to accomplish in creative ways, given the limitations of a reading. I was proud of the actors for finding ways of being physically comedic, even while simply standing at their music stands. It was a really good acting challenge for them, and they rose to the occasion.
Were there any specific challenges or obstacles to overcome?
There are already built-in limitations when you decide to stage a play as a reading, but I’ve been very intentional that these two productions have the look and feel of a full production as much as possible. I think it’s unusual to do a reading as fully produced as we have done with these last two plays — fully incorporating lighting, costumes, sound, and a decorated set. In the case of “Clue,” our designer, Chris Flint ʼ07, created a really beautiful rear projection design that transported the characters to all the different rooms of the mansion. I don’t feel like the limitations of a staged reading, as I’ve been referring to them, are obstacles at all. They are artistic challenges that force everyone — me, the actors, the designers — to be more creative and think out of the box. I also think this format challenges audience members to use their imaginations, too, and actually invites them to be a part of the storytelling, and I love that.
Inspired by a true story, “Bright Star,” tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the 1920s and 1940s. Students from Gilman, Bryn Mawr, and RPCS performed the musical May 5-8.
CURTIS LAWSON JR. ’23
POE DOUB ’22
The backstage culture of our show was absolutely incredible. i had a really fun time I would run off from a scene and be met with a sea of high fives being able to be there with so many other people just singing for the first time in a few years. The most challenging part for me was the fact that i had never been this prominent in a show before, and it was hard MAC NICHOLS ’22 from the other cast members. The level of support and excitement never waned. The first act paints a moving and rather tragic environment for the protagonist, alice, while the second act presents perseverance and redemption in the face of that tragedy. Both overcoming massive obstacles and facing the evil in ourselves is something that we have all had to grapple with at some point in our lives. to try and navigate the tiny amount of time that i got to spend backstage without the spotlight on me. The biggest standout moment for me was Being back on stage the sitzprobe, where with a large cast was we got to sing with a clear reminder of the band for the first why i’ve done theater time. i had an absolute for so many years! blast during that. Being back around so many of my close friends after school was so much fun, and i also loved the opportunity to make new friends and meet many underclassmen. The energy and adrenaline that i felt being on stage with such a large group of people and in front of such an enthusiastic audience was an unmatched feeling. i couldn’t have asked for a better show to end my high school career. not only were the cast and crew an incredible group of people, but the audience provided tremendous energy at every performance, which made the show so much fun. Every performance reminded me why i love theater. MIA BOYDSTON ’23 (BRYN MAWR)
The one word i would use to describe the “Bright Star” story would be unexpected. i remember many audience members telling me that they couldn’t believe that they could get so sucked into a bluegrass musical. it’s a story in which everyone can find a piece of themselves.
Concerts returned this school year with multiple in-person performances for families and friends in the winter and spring.
“We are thrilled again to have the opportunity to make music — let me rephrase that — live music,” said Music Director Ariel Dechosa in his welcoming remarks at the Upper School winter concert.
