BEAUTY BEYOND PERFECTION

Students in Ali Marchildon’s Middle School ceramics class were inspired by the vibrant artwork of Kimmy Cantrell and proudly created their own unique masks to celebrate diversity and honor Black History Month.

Cantrell is a self-taught artist residing in Atlanta whose work features ever-evolving variations on several recurring themes: faces, still lives, nudes, and fish. Cantrell’s ceramic faces use asymmetry to push the boundaries around traditional definitions of beauty. “I want to show the beauty within flaws,” he explains.

“Imperfections tell stories that are far more compelling than perfection.”

Cantrell’s work was introduced during Black History Month to expand artistic exposure beyond the shores of Hawai‘i Island, and to inspire students through the story of a living artist who embraces the power, aesthetic, and history of his culture through clay.

Middle School ceramics students explored the design concepts of abstraction, asymmetry, exaggeration, and texture in their low relief sculptures, working to emulate Cantrell’s distinctive stylistic elements in both form and color. These young HPA artists presented their work at Assembly, and even created a video of their process and presentation, which they sent to Mr. Cantrell in gratitude for fueling their vision.

Lower School visitors celebrate the joy of reading

February 1 marked World Read Aloud Day across the country — a celebration of storytelling and the beautiful way sharing those moments bring people together. Our kindergarten class was in for a special treat when Head of School Fred Wawner (affectionately called our Fred of School!) dropped in with LeBron James’ book, I Promise. Wawner later shared, “It was a fun opportunity to experience their delight in learning. We had quite the debate about my role, with some in the class adamant that I’m the guy who opens their car doors in the morning and others convinced that I own the school!” Wawner wasn’t the only guest — from Middle School students to Upper School faculty and administrators, nearly a dozen readers with their favorite books descended upon Lower School classrooms to share their love for reading and “do all the voices!”

We Rallied for Our Track!

MAY DAY CHALLENGE SPRINTS PAST ITS GOAL

Mahalo to all the alumni, parents, students, staff, and community members who came together to make the 2023 May Day Challenge a success. You helped create a four-day extravaganza of celebration and giving, with shout-out films on social media, vintage photos, shared memories, and a total of $51,975 raised to help restore our beloved Stanford W. Shutes Track. Because you enabled us to meet the challenge, an anonymous donor made a special contribution of $20,000 to the effort. Thanks to you, we are #KaMakaniSTRONG!