HB Magazine - Winter 2022

Works of Art

On a warm sunny day last fall, before things turned cold on Hathaway Brown’s historic campus, a group of young artists - two year olds to be exact - could be found exploring their inner Picassos, Rembrandts, O’Keeffes and Pollocks. Art history will come later, but for now the exploration was underway as paint was everywhere - on noses, hands, smocks and pumpkins. “It’s all about enjoying the process!” exclaimed Infant and Toddler Center Teacher Cori Simenc.

The seeds of creative thinking and self-expression are planted early and nurtured at every grade level of the HB experience through a dynamic Visual Arts curriculum where creative growth thrives and technical skills expand. Along the way, the art faculty encourage students to try new things, problem solve and have confidence in expressing themselves. “If you ask a group of first graders, ‘who can draw?’ all the hands go up,” explains Visual Arts Department Chair Jamie Morse. “As the students get older, the confidence lessens. A few words of encouragement go a long way.”

Finding Their Artistic Voice

In the Primary School, a group of students recently used art to integrate science and their study of trees by using recyclable materials to create mixed media collages. In moments like this, students learn to describe, analyze and interpret what they see. They learn aesthetic literacy, art vocabulary and visual sensitivity. Students also begin to recognize art as a means of chronicling cultural values, traditions, and customs. “The overarching goal in all our Primary School art classes is to help each girl find her personal voice, inspire a life-long appreciation of art, and develop the skills to express herself visually,” says Julie Odachowski, Primary School Visual Arts teacher.

Ever-Changing Perspectives

Middle School students extend their art-making knowledge in the areas of painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, fiber arts, mixed media, and printmaking, and they have an authentic art studio experience. They make interdisciplinary connections with history, music, science, and English by creating art projects that connect to their learning. Art-based service projects are also an opportunity for students to shift their perspective to the world around them. “The Middle School artist comes to the art room with an emerging and ever-changing perspective of who they are and how to express themselves visually,” says Melissa Nilsen, Middle School Visual Arts teacher. “The goals for my students are to keep an open mind, try a wide variety of mediums, develop their personal style and feel confident about expressing themselves visually.”

Creative Freedom

“I am really proud of the richness of our Visual Arts program,” says Morse. “Our art educators are strong throughout the school which makes for a seamless transition as we build on the skills and understanding of art in each grade. When students reach the Upper School, they already know the ground rules about how to collaborate and support their classmates in art.”

Infant and Toddler Center students enjoy the process of painting pumpkins!

There is a collegiality among the Upper School’s Visual Art students as they share their work, point out the positives of a classmate’s project, make suggestions and encourage each other. “All of our students have a voice and they truly reflect our ‘Learn for Life’ school motto,” says Morse. “Students will always benefit from becoming a creative thinker, even if they don’t pursue art classes beyond their experience here.”

Upper School students choose from a full, robust list of course offerings. They engage in everything from traditional media like drawing, painting, ceramics and photography, to printmaking, filmmaking, digital media, and advanced or AP studio art. One favorite course among students is also publication design which oversees the production of Specularia. Originally published in 1892 as a collection of art, poetry, stories and jokes, it evolved in the 1940s to be the school’s annual yearbook. The students in this class are responsible for every aspect of its creation, including photography, design and editorial.

The art faculty helps students connect with the greater community by taking field trips to local exhibitions and bringing in visiting artists to teach or demonstrate their art making. Year after year, student artists and writers are also recognized nationally in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In 2021, Hathaway Brown won more art awards than any other public or private school in Cuyahoga County. “We make an effort to look beyond our HB walls and pull the outside world in,” explains Morse.

Upper School students engage in everything from traditional media like drawing, painting, ceramics and photography, to printmaking, filmmaking, digital media, and advanced or AP studio art.

The art studios provide a happy environment full of laughter, camaraderie and sisterhood. “Art is important to me because it brings me joy. It’s a calming part of my day that allows me to reset and destress,” says Anna Banyard ’22. “I think our teachers make Visual Arts unique and special.”

With the support of such a committed art faculty, students are empowered to try new things and continue to explore those inner Picassos, Rembrandts, O’Keeffes and Pollocks they may have first encountered as two year olds. And just like in preschool, it’s about the process. “Art is not perfection,” says Morse. “It’s about doing something to the best of your ability in that moment. Keep doing that and you will get better.”

Middle School students connected the school-wide theme of “Building the Future” by creating mixed media “homes” that were displayed in honor of HB’s celebrated community.