Behind Stowe | School Year 2019–2020

Behind Stowe Behind Stowe LN T IHLI L L L SSCCH HO OO R R T HTE HAE R TA SRT S W A LWNAU TU H OLL F O FO

School Year 2019–2020 | Volume 10 Number 1

Non Nobis Solum

Behind Stowe Behind Stowe LN T IHLI L L L SSCCH HO OO R R T HTE HAE R TA SRT S W A LWNAU TU H OLL F O FO

2019/2020 Non Nobis Solum

| Volume 7 Number 1

This year’s issue of our magazine, Behind Stowe, is a chronicle of a year like no other. While the year started like “normal”, with the crisp snap of fall, lively performances and shows, and traditions like Mountain Day and Boar’s Head, things got unsettled when COVID-19 reared its head just before March break like a big and unpredictable question mark. However, in the true spirit of Non Nobis Solum, Walnut Hill answered with open arms to house international students who couldn’t return home, and to move academic, arts, and admission programs to online platforms for all Walnuts (and future Walnuts) to access. Our faculty dug deep to offer enriching and creative educational experiences online to students scattered across many time zones, and our alumni the world over offered up their time and talent on virtual platforms for us to experience community during a time of social distancing. It is with deep gratitude that we salute each and every one of you who honored the true meaning of our School motto over the course of this very unique year.

EDITORIAL TEAM Garrett Murphy ’08 Director of Alumni Giving and Engagement

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25

34

A NOTE FROM STOWE

MEET OUR NEW

FAR FROM HOME,

Jeanne O’Rourke Chief Creative Officer

TRUSTEES

2

Rebecca Mayersohn Stewardship & Research Coordinator

ART 360 COMES

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TO LIFE

WALNUT HILL

YET RIGHT AT HOME International students found safe harbor during COVID-19

Judy Kiviat Editorial Assistant blazar design studio Design DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Tobey Fossey Chief Development Officer Jennifer TumSuden Director of Development Leah George Database Manager

RECOMMENDS

4 A MODEL FOR

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PARTNERSHIP Boston Ballet School and Walnut Hill School for the Arts

A YEAR TO REMEMBER

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Pat McDougal Development Associate

ADMISSIONS

CREATIVE TEAM Jenna Nastri Marketing Communications Associate

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Amelia Iverson Technology Integration Specialist

CHALLENGE 2020

CLASS NOTES

30 ELLISON CIRCLE

32 A YEAR IN REVIEW A Look Back at a Year of Art-Making on the Hill

36 FIND A WALNUT WEEK Virtual Reunion Give Day

40 IN MEMORIAM

46 GRADUATION

47 FOND FAREWELLS

Matt Seifert WFMA Faculty/Creative Team PHOTOGRAPHY Joshua Barnatt Simone Gardner '21 Liza Voll Photography Erika Picciotto Ken Tighe Matt Seifert Antonio Viva Walnut Hill Archives

Cover Artwork by Ken Tighe's mural class, the Virtual Vandals: Yuntian "Keller" Wang '21, Keara McHaffie '20, Aaron Povenmire '20, Maddie Rizzo '21, Olivia Na '22, Connor Coles '21, Alanna Sinopoli '20, Jingzi "Jing" Zhang '21, Qianrui "Cherry" Zhou '20, Shijia "Libby" Liu '20, Sangni "Sunny" Lin '20, Ross Rosenberg '21.

Special thanks to our contributors this year: Tobey Fossey, Jay Crawford-Kelly, First Republic Bank, Amanda Grazioli, Rebecca Mayersohn, Dempsey Schott ’14, Jen TumSuden, Antonio Viva. © 2020 Walnut Hill School for the Arts. All rights reserved. Published by Walnut Hill School for the Arts, 12 Highland Street, Natick, MA 01760-2199 (tel) 508.653.4312 (fax) 508.653.9593 | Please send change of address to Leah George: lgeorge@walnuthillarts.org

Twitter and Instagram: @walnuthillarts | www.facebook.com/walnuthill | www.walnuthillarts.org | 508.653.4312

A NOTE FROM STOWE

A Year of Non Nobis Solum This fall, when I greeted our school community in September, I shared a hope that our theme for the year would be Non Nobis Solum. My reason for choosing our school motto was that the idea that "not for ourselves alone" felt appropriate as we started a new school year after celebrating our 125th Anniversary. My intention was to use our opening convocation to communicate that Walnut Hill has stood for this idea for more than a century.

Its roots come from ancient Rome, and as I write this letter from a table at the Head’s House, I think about how our entire school community has been affected by the events of this year. We truly are not here for ourselves alone.

The first half of this year was marked with extraordinary milestones: a successful 10-year accreditation visit with glowing commendations by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; a record year in our Admission Office, with an increase in applications of more than 49% over last year; and the launch of our strategic planning process to envision the future. When I left for Europe in late February to visit with our alumni, I thought the spring would be as it always is, filled with energy, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose. Then, back in the United States on March 7, I had to self-quarantine, having visited London, Glasgow, and Berlin, and before I knew it, we were closing school and moving our programs online.

I am particularly saddened for the Class of 2020. This group of students were born into a world that had been traumatized by the events of 9/11. As young babies, their parents and families found joy and comfort in welcoming them into a world that seemed scary and uncertain. Their childhood was marked by the fact that they grew up in what many have referred to as a “post-9/11 world,” and yet, for many of them, the events of that single day were more of a history lesson of the past than a thought fully experienced in the present.

The bookend for this chapter of their lives has resulted in another, and even more significant, global event. COVID-19 has reshaped not only the final weeks and months of their senior year at Walnut Hill, but it will fundamentally change the world forever. I, too, am disappointed in the loss of what could have been and how the final weeks of the school year should have unfolded. And yet, I am hopeful. I remain optimistic and I believe that as we live through this moment in history, the post–COVID-19 world is going to be met with an army of change agents and beacons of light.

Our students—both the ones graduating this year and all of our alumni who have come before them— are an extraordinary group of people. You continue to impress me and our entire community with your passion, creativity, and grit. It’s true that we will all be different as a result of having experienced this global crisis. And, as I told our Class of 2020, this is not the end. Rather, it’s a new beginning, and in the years and decades to come, I hope that all of us can find the motivation and determination to use these current experiences to fuel our passion for beauty, our shared commitment to making our world a better place, and a collective desire to live our lives with the idea that anything we do should not be for ourselves alone.

Antonio Viva Head of School

2019/2020

Behind Stowe | 1

COLLABORATIVE ARTS EXPLORATION

ART360 Comes to Life

by Jeanne O'Rourke

W

hat happens when the Director of Artistic Studies Niki Conraths moves into her office next door to the Director of Academic Studies Ben Gregg’s office in the ATC? Outside-the-box thinking coupled with a good dose of creative vision, that’s what. This new proximity, along with the equally motivated help of a team of some key faculty, helped launch Walnut Hill’s newest arts venture, ART360.

But what is it, exactly? ART360 is Walnut Hill’s collaborative arts exploration program, and the first of its kind among the independent arts schools in the nation. It’s an opportunity to further prepare Walnuts to thrive as future professionals in today’s interdisciplinary and collaborative

2 | Behind Stowe

economy. It’s also a chance for them to try something new, or get better at an interest they’ve already cultivated, and have fun doing so within a creative and safe space.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible (depending on the semester) to take an ART360 class. They choose from a list of interdisciplinary arts classes, which in the program’s first semester included such varied topics as hip-hop, guitar, podcasting, apparel class, game design, and digital photography (taught by our own Head of School Antonio Viva, who went back to his teaching roots).

Classes are held once a week on Fridays, and there are no grades and no homework, just a chance to explore and experience an

art form outside the student’s major.

The program had its genesis in a committee of about 10 faculty members a couple of years before, but didn’t take form until Director of Writing, Film & Media Arts Margaret Funkhouser, Director of Theater Joe Cabral, and Head of School Antonio Viva took a trip across the pond to Glasgow to meet with colleagues at the Royal Conservatory of Scotland. It was there that our three travelers learned about the RCS Choice program, which is a mandatory two hours of class in another art form that students take in advance of graduation. When the Walnut Hill team saw how much cross-arts learning was adding to the students’ artistic training, they were sold on the idea and a new www.walnuthillarts.org

enthusiasm for this arts-training option was born.

It’s the sweet and the sour, the yin and the yang.”

Back on the Hill, there was some initial anxiety regarding where this new and as-yet-unnamed program would live in the already complicated school schedule. Says Gregg, “For a number of years, people have been interested in giving kids the opportunity to take arts classes outside their major, but it was a challenge: time in the schedule is tight. But when Niki came, she really made it happen.

She talked to the heads of the arts departments, and they all compromised to make the room.”

The big “aha” moment of the program for Conraths was something she didn’t expect. As she notes, “Our faculty discovered incredible talent in majors trying out other disciplines—kids in the WFMA program who had beautiful singing voices, dancers with a great eye for photography.

What we found is that our current students really could have been accepted to multiple majors!”

Conraths and Gregg gathered and assessed the data they collected after the first year of the program, assessments that will help inform the program going forward. For example, for some of the classes, 50 minutes was a sweet spot, but others could have used a bit more breathing room.

Also, results suggested that it might be best to offer ART360 opportunities to students of all grades whenever it best fits into their schedule, over the course of four years. The most instructive data point: the overwhelming majority of kids loved making art with kids from other majors.

The rollout of this new venture— ultimately dubbed ART360 after a spirited faculty debate—was, in a word, according to a laughing Conraths, “Tedious!” She then allows, “But the slow rollout was necessary, in order to get all constituencies on board. First we talked to the faculty about it, next we talked to the students about it, then we had to all come to a decision about who could take these new hybrid classes (all grades? some grades?), and finally we determined which classes and teachers would comprise the initial slate of offerings.”

About the meat of the program, Gregg says, “Our faculty really stepped up with creative ideas for classes and a lot of them teamed up to co-teach, which we had never tried before. They actually proposed a lot more classes than we were able to offer, and were very graceful when we had to postpone some of them for a future semester.” Describing the program’s benefit to the students, he continues, “What’s interesting is that ART360 doesn’t break down the disciplines; instead, it enhances them. Kids are working hard within their art major, and when they cross out of their major, the complement makes their overall experience even stronger.

2019 / 2020

As for next year? “Well, it’s all up in the air now, isn’t it?” says Gregg, in the midst of the unexpected challenge to the current school year. Indeed it is, but rest assured that whatever form learning takes in September, the collaborative spirit of ART360 will shine on. Conraths adds in closing, “We are just so happy we didn’t call it ZOOM . . . !” ◆

OPPOSITE Digital photograph by Simone Gardner ’21 THIS PAGE Top: Theater major Mackenzie Wilcox ‘21 in a Yoga and Writing class. Bottom: Cross-pollination in action: the new "Purple Note Recording Studio" is home to ART360 classes and, here, a WFMA songwriting class.

Behind Stowe | 3

NEW PARTNERSHIP

A Model for Partnership: Boston Ballet School and Walnut Hill School for the Arts 4 | Behind Stowe

www.walnuthillarts.org

W

e are thrilled to announce a new partnership with Boston Ballet here at Walnut Hill: the Dance Department will now be called Boston

Ballet School’s Professional Division at Walnut Hill. The new program isn’t a satellite program of Boston Ballet: our two programs have merged. This joint program will educate and train students for a future with Boston Ballet, the professional dance world, and beyond, including the world’s best conservatories, universities, and colleges—in essence, what we’ve always done for our very talented dancers here on the Hill. We thank all of our past dancers whose exceptional track record and enthusiasm for the School helped pave the way for this exciting partnership. Michael Owen, longtime Director of Dance, will transition into the role of Director of Dance Emeritus. Of the new partnership, Michael says, “The Boston Ballet partnership was an idea I pursued many years ago, and it is now coming to fruition under the leadership of longtime colleague Margaret Tracey. I am eager to support the growth of a young generation of dancers in my new role with Community Dance Academy at Walnut Hill and reconnect with our alumni across the globe.”

continued on page 6

2019 / 2020

Behind Stowe | 5

NEW PARTNERSHIP continued from page 5 The program is the first in the United States to combine a residential and pre-college preparatory program with pre-professional dance training. Set to launch in fall 2020, the goal is to prepare students for ballet careers as well as a life outside of the dance world.

The writers at First Republic Bank talked with Max Hodges, Executive Director of Boston Ballet, and Antonio Viva, Head of School for Walnut Hill, about the new partnership.

Excerpted from First Republic Bank article, February 2020.

Special thanks to Rebecca Mayersohn.

BELOW The Delbridge Family Center for the Arts houses the dance studios, including Studio 5, pictured here and on previous page.

6 | Behind Stowe

Q A

What prompted the idea of partnering to create the new Professional Division program?

Max Hodges: We were at a point where the growth in our pre-professional program was strong, and we were increasingly recruiting students from outside of New England. But we were experiencing challenges in meeting the full suite of our students’ needs. In addition to the pre-professional training, they need support, including college-prep academics and, if they were coming from outside the area, places to live. Our students were making it work by taking online classes and living in apartments. But we knew we could offer something more.

Antonio Viva: For us, we’d just completed some work on how we could better partner with other arts organizations and make those resources available to our students. Our two programs have competed for students at times, with both organizations putting amazing, talented dancers into the world. It became clear to us that we had the unique opportunity to do something even better together. It gave both Walnut Hill and Boston Ballet School the chance to differentiate themselves.

www.walnuthillarts.org

What are your joint goals for the partnership?

Viva: We want to be the preeminent pre-professional dance program in the country. We want to put dancers into the world who are artistically and creatively prepared to contribute to the evolution of dance for many decades to come.

Hodges: I agree with all of that. I’ll add that we also want our graduates to graduate into Boston Ballet as well.

Q

The program description notes the importance of providing an education for the whole dancer. Can you discuss what that means?

Hodges: We want to prepare our students for life in professional ballet and for their lives after professional ballet. A dancer’s career is brilliant and dream fulfilling, but it can be very short, and it’s possible to have a career-ending injury. We want our dancers to be prepared for any career path, not only dance.

Viva: We’ve been doing this for 35 years, and we don’t think of our students just as artists in their specific disciplines. There are three things that make up a person: body, mind, and spirit. We want to provide comprehensive wellness programming and opportunities for our artists to meet and learn from artists in other disciplines. Living and working together and giving them the space to be creative in multiple ways provides a rich and deep school experience.

Q A

How have the board and other stakeholders come into play throughout this process?

Hodges: With the Walnut Hill partnership, the school committee of the Boston Ballet School Board was instrumental. We also thought about how each constituency would be impacted, the questions they would have and any concerns.

We wanted the board’s buy-in as well as the buy-in from our families and students.

Viva: The challenge with any kind of new initiative is that folks have lots of questions. You want to make room for opportunities to provide answers.

Our board was heavily involved.

2019 / 2020

Q

As you’ve embarked on this initiative, what have you learned about creating effective partnerships between two nonprofits?

A

Hodges: It’s absolutely critical that it’s rooted in meeting your nonprofit mission objectives— that’s the reason to pursue a partnership for both parties. For example, we’re coming together to create a value proposition that will help us both attract the world’s best talent. It’s mutually beneficial. I think it’s also important to participate in a partnership that either draws on your core competencies or complements a weakness. You want to figure out what you ought to be doing yourself, and what you ought to be providing via a partner.

Viva: I’d also say that it’s important to bring up the hard stuff early. Get to the hard questions about how you’ll work together, and be honest and frank early on. Discuss the vision and what you expect the shared outcomes to be. The rest of the logistics you can hammer out.

ˮ

Q A

We want to put dancers into the world who are artistically and creatively prepared to contribute to the evolution of dance for many decades to come.

—Antonio Viva

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Q

What advice would you give to nonprofit leaders regarding how to approach new partnerships?

A

Viva: I think the starting point is establishing collaboration with a “lowercase c”—that is, start off with projects or one-off initiatives and see how it goes. I think sometimes the biggest question and reservation about partnering is whether you can do it. You want to know that you can commit the time and resources required to make the partnership successful. However, one of the things I’d say is that when the [partnership] is in line with your mission and core values and you’re putting the institution’s mission at the forefront of the decision, then it’s easy for people to support it. ◆ Behind Stowe | 7

ALUM AT WORK

Virtual & Actual Success: Accepting the Admissions Challenge

by Dempsey Schott '14 Walnuts, and this fueled an uptick in text, FaceTime, and Instagram connections. So, a situation that at first seemed like a big liability actually turned into a big win for future Walnuts.

O

n March 10, the Walnut Hill Office of Admission sent out more than 160 acceptance packages to eager future students. The following Monday, the pandemic hit Massachusetts, and all of Walnut Hill—save for some essential staff on the ground—began working remotely, including the admission team. The highly anticipated spring Accepted Student Days were canceled, and the reality of how to virtually welcome potential new Walnuts set in. Like the rest of the admissions world, the team was forced to swiftly pivot. But how to deliver the experience of an actual revisit day entirely online? Although it was difficult to imagine how to convert in-person lively class discussions, Nut Cup games, and performances to an online format, the team rose to the challenge.

Hello from the Hill: A Virtual Accepted Students Day was born 8 | Behind Stowe

to the Walnut Hill website a week later. The page hosted recorded versions of live webinars about academics, arts, and student life, along with a video message and a personal tour of the campus from Head of School Antonio Viva. The positive feedback we received from accepted families was (happily!) overwhelming.

Typically, our campus events are able to engage about 40 families who travel to Natick on one of two Fridays. But by moving our programming to an online platform, we were able to connect with nearly double that number, and we “met” with students all over the world. In addition, several families let us know that distributing each of the webinars over the course of a week gave them time to better process the information, and to better prepare thoughtful questions. To go one step further, the admission team also paired potential Walnuts with current

In other noteworthy admission news, this year marked the rollout of our much-anticipated Parent– Alumni Admission Network. In October, the team asked for volunteers to help connect with both prospective and accepted families in a few ways: attending local school fairs, reaching out by email or phone, and participating in events on and off campus.

This spring, 30 alumni called more than 50 accepted families to share their own personal experiences as a part of the Walnut Hill community. This step proved especially beneficial recently, allowing for meaningful connections at a time when we cannot gather in person. It seemed that both the alumni and the prospective families reaped the benefits of the new outreach program: “This made my heart warm to represent Walnut Hill and feel productive in this crazy time,” said Hunter McCormick ’12.

And, from Ruth Rothseid ’70, “I explained that I attended Walnut Hill just before it turned to the arts. But that whenever I go back, everyone is very happy. . . . I am so glad that I did this.”

If you are an alum who wishes to be involved in the Parent–Alumni Admission Network, please contact Dempsey Schott ’14 at dschott@walnuthillarts.org.

What a wonderful opportunity to welcome new families to the community that has so impacted your own life! ◆ www.walnuthillarts.org

Dance Major

Visual Art Major

Music Major

Theater Majors

Head of School

high school

WFMA Major

NOT YOUR ORDINARY

Hello, alums! Did you “find your people” at Walnut Hill? We are looking for more people like you . . . future Walnuts.

That means kids who have a deep passion for what they love—it could be acting on the stage, playing the cello, writing screenplays, belting out a showtune, creating a collage, making films, executing a perfect jeté, or singing an aria.

So, if you know someone special who might be a Walnut—send them our way, we’d love to meet them.

WALNUTHILLARTS.ORG/ADMISSION

CLASS NOTES

1967

CATHERINE PHINIZY’s grandson Maxx Parys, a competitive skier, competed in the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of the men’s alpine and combined events.

Class Notes at Walnut Hill Submit Class Notes online at walnuthillarts.org/ alumni or email alumni@ walnuthillarts.org.

We love including your photos in Class Notes.

Photos should be at least 300 dpi and no less than 5 inches wide. Please feel free to contact us with questions . . . we want to make sure your photos look terrific.

Class Notes received as of April 15

1948

LUCINDA WEIL BUNNEN’s work was shown last summer at Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta, GA, in an exhibition entitled A Spring Walk in My Woods.

The exhibition, Lucinda’s second at the gallery, featured photographs

ABOVE Joan Tower '56 1 0 | Behind Stowe

1979

ABOVE Christine Coon '60 and Mary Turner Cattan '60

from the artist’s daily walks with her dogs.

1956

JOAN TOWER has been named 2020’s Composer of the Year by Musical America Worldwide.

1960

Old roommates and still best buddies CHRISTIE COON and MARY TURNER CATTAN celebrated their most recent birthdays (one day apart!). Both are still happily busy not only with children, grandchildren, and extended families, but with their careers.

Christie continues to work as a soil scientist, doing her best to protect the wetlands of New England, while Mary tends a full and active caseload as a

psychotherapist. The pair are “making hay while the sun shines!”

1962

Last fall, PATRICIA “PATTY” SILVER appeared in a production of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner at Z Space in San Francisco.

1964

Last summer, BARBARA FADEN SMITHSON showed one of her paintings at Exhibit It, a show at Pence Gallery in Davis, CA. She was also the featured artist for the Local Inspiration exhibit at Solano Town Center Gallery in Fairfield, CA, from August 7 to September 15.

KATHERINE “KATIE” SWITZER PELLETIER shared with us that her beloved eldest brother, Jonny, died in May of 2019. Katie says her classmates will remember him as the life of the party and her lifeline when she was at Walnut Hill. She spent many weekends at his apartment in Boston.

After suffering that devastating loss, Katie’s mother, ELEANOR POPE ABEL AMMEN ’46, died in August of 2019. Eleanor believed in supporting her alma maters and, as a result, left a generous gift to Walnut Hill. Katie reports: “The shining moment in this sad year for us all, our baby, Hannah, was married in September, and while we were sad that Mom and Jonny were not with us, we celebrated Hannah and Troy. A highlight for me was that my dearest friend, ANGELA COX SMITH ’79, and her husband, Doug, joined us.

We were so happy to have them with us to celebrate our littlest’s special day!”

1981

MARGARET JONES ABBOUD and SUSAN GRUPE DIFFENDERFER have found themselves working for the same www.walnuthillarts.org

LEFT Margaret Jones Abboud '81 and Susan Grupe Diffenderfer '81

JUSTINE HAND and her Instagram account (@justine.hand) were mentioned in the Boston Globe this spring in a piece interviewing local photographers like Justine about their favorite photography accounts to follow.

In the piece, Justine recommended checking out the work of Greta Rybus (@gretarybus). workmen’s compensation company! Susan writes: "Margaret is in Massachusetts while I’m in Pennsylvania.

We found each other while performing in the company talent show in Maine. Performing arts never stops. Hurray Mischords!"

1983

1988

KIRSTEN PATCHES ELLIS was seen last April on a film panel for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, following their screening of The Decline of Western Civilization: Parts I & III. Kirsten and her band, Naked Aggression, appear in Part III of the documentary trilogy.

Math faculty member ANNE MURPHY recently enjoyed catching up with HAESUN PAIK(left), one of her former students. They posed for a photo with ANNA CHOI ’21, HaeSun's daughter, who was in Ms. Murphy’s class this year.

2019 / 2020

1989

MARGARET LAMONT is the published author of two science-fiction novels: Mission to Cyma and Serious Times.

1990

This spring, MAKEEBA MCCREADY was inducted into the Academy of Women Achievers, awarded each year by YW Boston, whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. She is one of five honorees this year as Boston’s "brightest, boldest, bravest, and most influential women."

Notes from the Hill

Composition Major Victor Xue ’20 was named First Place winner in the Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in Massachusetts. Victor was a student of Walnut Hill's Head of Theory & Composition Whitman Brown, here, joined

by Director of Music Jennifer Elowitch.

In September, the Dance Department welcomed dancer and choreographer Levi Marsman ’05 for a dance master class.

Taylor Wang ’20 played Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO) in October at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. The concert was presented by NEC Prep to celebrate Clara Schumann’s Bicentennial.

Behind Stowe | 11

CLASS NOTES

1995

GLORIA CHIEN and her husband, violinist Soovin Kim, performed last May at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. The concert was presented by the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, and included pieces from Ravel, Webern, Szymanowski, Prokofiev, and Strauss.

1990

CHRISTIAN FINNEGAN took the virtual stage on April 17, performing 45 minutes of never-before-heard stand-up comedy material on a livestream presented by the Nowhere Comedy Club.

In November, REBECCA ELLEN WOLF jumped in at the last minute to perform in a production of Offenbach’s Le Voyage dans la Lune with Operacting in Paris. She managed to successfully memorize eight rapid and wordy French chorus scenes, and a fair bit of choreography, in three rehearsals, for three performances that same week. Rebecca Ellen writes: “An additional coincidence was that there were three Tanglewood alumnae in the show: myself, the conductor, and the lead soprano! And I would have never gone to, or known at that time about, Tanglewood had I not met 1 2 | Behind Stowe

Patty Thom at Walnut Hill!” The following month, Rebecca Ellen was hired for a private Christmas Eve caroling performance at Disneyland Paris’s Grand Hotel.

1991

MEI-ANN CHEN was scheduled to make her New York City conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic on May 30, 2020, as part of an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

NICOLE SHIELDS KRIEGER is living in Bercher, Switzerland, and shared that last fall, she had the opportunity to stage a musical starring local kids. The show was based on a Boston Freelance Players production, Ned White and Narcissa Campion’s Carney Time, but translated into French and adapted into a Swiss setting. Nicole reports that translating all the puns and idioms was quite the challenge!

1996

BIANCA BRYAN performs regularly in Richmond, VA, where she resides with her husband and two children. She was last seen onstage as Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and Petruchio in

ABOVE Wendy Law '96

an all-female cast of Taming of the Shrew, garnering RTCC Best Actress awards for the latter two productions.

During the day, Bianca works for VPM, the Richmond NPR affiliate, as their underwriting announcer, and hosts two television shows: The Art Scene on Virginia PBS and Untapped VA on a local community station. This April, she performed an at-home cabaret, sponsored and livestreamed by the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance as part of their Legends at Home event series.

WENDY LAW recently released her new visual album, Pasión. The album was filmed in NYC and across the Mediterranean, and features styles such as tango, bossa nova, and Spanish classical music.

RIGHT Bianca Bryan '96

www.walnuthillarts.org

2001

LANCE DRISCOLL and his father, Kevin, of Driscoll Productions, hosted their first Facebook Live experience on April 1, a 30-minute show for kids called “Drumming for Dummies.”

2002 1999/2000

SARA GATELY ’99 displayed three pieces in Walnut Hill's recent climate-themed art show, Climate + Art = Change, and reconnected with classmate ALESSANDRA BONO HORTON ’00 at the show. Sara is a third-grade visual arts teacher and exhibits her art around Boston.

1997

JACK MCCOLLOUGH was featured in a New York Times piece in November, exploring the inspiration behind the clothing label Proenza Schouler, which he co-founded with his partner, Lazaro Hernandez.

2000

In 2019, ZSOLT BOGNÁR was named the new Artistic Director and

General Manager of Music for the Western Reserve, an organization known for presenting chamber music concerts of a variety of genres.

MATTHEW RISCH appeared in an episode of the Netflix show Bonding, which premiered last April. He also reprised his recurring role of Jotham in the recent series finale of Modern Family.

This spring, ERIN GINN offered a robust lineup of private, semiprivate, and group Pilates classes on a virtual platform.

JONATHAN PARKSRAMAGE recently sold a novel, DADDY, which he has been writing for the past four years. The book, which will be published in June 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, explores issues of class, religion, power dynamics, and victimhood.

2003

YOUNG JIN “JULIA” CHOI-RODRIGUEZ and her husband, Roger, recently opened their own chocolate shop, Vesta Chocolate, in Upper Montclair, NJ. CATHERINE EPSTEIN was selected by the Huntington Theatre Company as a Playwriting Fellow for 2019–2021.

LEFT Matthew Risch '00 (far left) 2019 / 2020

Notes from the Hill

Pianist HaeSun Paik '83 came to campus to teach a master class to music students in October.

Director of Diversity and Inclusion Linda Hughes welcomed a group of enthusiastic eighth graders from Ron Clark Academy to campus to get a glimpse into what life is like at an arts high school.

The College Counseling Office welcomed a panel of experts for a Q&A for juniors and seniors: (L-R) Nadine Abigaña, Associate Director of College Counseling; Tina Wu, The New School; Michael Stepniak, Shenandoah University; Caitlin Dutton-Reaver, The Juilliard School; Louisa Jones, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama; Angela Jones-OBrien, Tufts University; Liam Dailey, Bennington College; Sarah Lovely, Director of College Counseling.

Behind Stowe | 13

CLASS NOTES

Notes from the Hill

The Halloween Thriller flash dance mob led by theater and dance faculty member Nikki Sell, featuring staff and faculty and a surprise for students, was featured on Boston’s WCVB-TV 5’s evening news.

Students (L-R) Caroline Kelly ’22, Xinyi “Scarlet” Liu ’21, Grace Sellers ’20, Hadley Sparks ’20, Madison McCluskey ’20, and staff from Walnut Hill Community Service Association helped sort food for those in need at the Natick Service Council Food Pantry.

ABOVE Catherine Epstein '03 with husband Franklin Sammons

She also recently married Franklin Sammons, with the festivities taking place in Arlington, VT. ELANA KATZ completed a three-week artist-inresidence program at Defibrillator Gallery in Chicago last fall. In addition to supporting Elana’s two new performance art pieces, the gallery screened her 2018 digital film Running on Empty.

ABOVE Sarah Chasin '04, Dean of Studens Melissa Cassel, Kyle Brown '04, and Garrett Murphy '08

JEONG-HYUN “ANGELA” KIM, who serves as an assistant professor of piano in Southern Illinois University’s Department of Music, was interviewed this past December on the university’s weekly radio program, Segue.

Angela chatted on the air about her musical background and an upcoming multimedia production, Chaos Magick, which integrates live piano performances with design, animation, electronic sound, and dance.

2004

KYLE BROWN, a cast member in Moulin Rouge on Broadway, caught up with classmate SARAH CHASIN after a performance earlier this year. Also in attendance were Garrett Murphy and Melissa Cassel.

The Neave Trio, featuring violinist ANNA WILLIAMS, recorded a performance of Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio, Allegro Vigoroso, earning them a spot on the New York Times’s list of the 25 best classical music tracks of 2019.

2005

Congratulations to WEI CHEN and his partner, Mélissa, who recently welcomed their daughter, Eliana, to the world.

Hosted by the Praying Indians of Natick Tribe, students (starting third from left) Tia Walker ’22, Bella Ansin ’20, and Tiggi Kohl ’20, along with Director of Diversity and Inclusion

continued 14 | Behind Stowe

2005/2011

ASHLEY BLANCHET ’05 played the titular role in Paper Mill Playhouse’s recent production of Cinderella, alongside fellow Walnut JOHN BARSOIAN ’11, who performed in the ensemble.

JULIE RUBINGER DOUPÉ and husband, Andrew, welcomed their daughter, Eleanor, on September 18.

BRIGA HEELAN GUBE was cast as Cinderella in the upcoming world premiere of Once Upon a

www.walnuthillarts.org

ABOVE Briga Heelan Gube '05 (left) with castmates

One More Time, a Britney Spears jukebox musical, to be performed at Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre, with a Broadway premiere expected to follow. The cast also includes Justin Guarini, Emily Skinner, and Aisha Jackson.

CATHERINE HANCOCK is now working at the Metropolitan Opera as their Marketing Coordinator.

MEREDITH LUSTIG appeared in a segment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last September.

CHRISTOPHER RIGGI stars in the movie Killer Daddy Issues, which aired on February 7 on Lifetime.

KATIE PREISIG SCHIERING recently opened Firelight Theater, a theater education organization that earlier

Major at the Grant Park Music Festival this summer.

Earlier this year, she was cast as Damigella, Pallade, and Venere in the Opera Delaware’s production of The Coronation of Poppea, which was scheduled to run in April.

In June, she was slated to play Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro at Maryland Lyric Opera.

Linda Hughes, joined tribe members at the Annual Harvest Moon and Creator Praise Celebration.

Dancer and arts administrator Megan Wright '09 was on campus to teach a dance master class in October.

2006

The Ulysses Quartet, featuring RHIANNON BANERDT on violin, was hired last spring as Juilliard’s graduate resident string quartet.

The group began their residency in September.

ABOVE Mary Thomas '05

this year offered a music program in Lancaster, MA, for children under 4. Starting in the fall, she plans to add two theater programs for children ages 5–8.

JUN SEO was recently appointed to the cello faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield.

MARY THOMAS was scheduled to sing Beethoven’s Mass in C

ZOE BOUCHER lived in Vermont for nearly 10 years after graduating from Alfred University's B.F.A. program in visual arts. She taught art classes for children at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe and has also been employed for many years at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson. She has continued to telecommute to her job there since relocating to the Boston area in the summer of 2019. Zoe entered the lowresidency M.A. program in expressive arts therapy and clinical mental health counseling at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, in the summer of 2017. During the 2019– 2020 school year, Zoe served as an arts therapy intern at a therapeutic residential school for children in Jamaica Plain.

FAR LEFT Meredith Lustig '05 NEAR LEFT Chris Riggi '05 2019 / 2020

Notes from the Hill

WFMA students welcomed a visiting guest artist for the month of October, Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, a poet and the Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at UMASS Boston.

Contemporary dancer Charlie Hodges '98 visited the Dance Department to teach a master class this past November.

Two Walnuts were among the talented awardees in the 2020 YoungArts competition. Writing, Film & Media Arts Major

Behind Stowe | 15

CLASS NOTES

ABOVE Julia Glenn '07 with students in China

2006/2008

ANDREA CHEN MCKINNON ’06, JENNY LAI ’06, and KATHRYN FELT ’08 reunited last year at Andrea’s wedding.

KELLY MCWILLIAMS’s debut novel, Agnes at the End of the World, was published in June by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

ABOVE Carolyn Sproule '06

PAUL HEESANG MILLER performed in the New York premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s musical Soft Power, which played at the Public Theater in the fall. Shortly afterward, he joined the cast of Aladdin on Broadway as a member of the ensemble and as

understudy for Iago.

Last summer, CAROLYN SPROULE made it to the semifinals of Placido Domingo's Operalia, the World Opera Competition.

This February, she sang the role of Dorabella in a performance of Cosi fan tutte at the Metropolitan Opera.

by the COVID-19 crisis.

With the help of her students, Julia posted a series of musical videos to attract attention to the issue and collect donations for Project HOPE, an organization that provided medical supplies to the most heavily quarantined areas in China.

CELIA HATTON was spotted in a video on Madonna’s Instagram account, playing a version of her song “Frozen.”

2008

NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER received last year’s Elliot Norton Award in the Outstanding Visiting Musical Performer category for his performance as Aaron Burr in the Hamilton tour.

The award ceremony took place last May at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Theatre, and featured Nick performing the song “Wait for It” from Hamilton.

2007

This February, JULIA GLENN, an instructor of violin and music theory at the Tianjin Juilliard School in China, devoted her efforts to raising awareness and funds to assist those affected

2006/2009

After a February performance of Aladdin on Broadway, cast members PAUL HEESANG MILLER ’06 and TRAVIS WARD-OSBORNE ’09 reunited with Garrett Murphy '08 and Melissa Cassel.

LEFT Paul Heesang Miller '06 1 6 | Behind Stowe

www.walnuthillarts.org

Notes from the Hill Nathaniel Sheehan ’20 (previous page) was recognized with a Merit Award for his playwriting.

Alum and jazz major Jace Mason ’19 was also recognized with an Honorable Mention Award for composition.

ABOVE Chu-Chun "Jean" Huang '08 ABOVE Megan Wright '09 and Elizabeth "Lisie" Michel Lillianfeld '09

RYLIE CORRAL made the rounds on the internet in late March after posting a clever video in which she played a cello solo using a roll of toilet paper!

CHU-CHUN “JEAN” HUANG is one of 58 musicians who participated in a recent public art project titled “Concert for One,” hosted

by Celebrity Series of Boston. The idea behind this project, started by violist Rayna Yun Chou, is that one musician performs a one-minute concert for one audience member, with the aim of producing 5,000 such mini-concerts.

class’s 10th Reunion last May. Lisie reports that she enjoyed observing a ballet class, along with her husband, Bobby, and their 3-month-old, Joseph.

GRACE HELLWEG PAYNE was recently ordained in the Presbyterian Church.

Last June, EDWARD SPOTS led a group of youth dancers in a sitespecific work entitled Black Magic at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The performance marked the opening of the exhibition Bodies of Knowledge.

ABOVE Megan Wright '09

MEGAN WRIGHT was recently featured on the Dance Spirit website in a piece exploring how she balances performing with her desk job in arts administration.

2009

ELIZABETH “LISIE” MICHEL LILLIANFELD and MEGAN WRIGHT had a blast visiting campus together for their

BELOW Edward Spots '09

2007/2017

CHLOE SAVIT ’17 recently attended a performance of Mean Girls on Broadway and caught up with BARRETT WILBERT WEED ’07, who played the role of Janis, after the show.

2018 / 2019

Walnuts from multiple majors were recognized for both visual arts and writing in the 2020 Massachusetts Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! The Walnuts received a total of 47 awards, including 17 Gold Keys, 12 Silver Keys, and 18 Honorable Mentions.

Regional Gold Key Awards: Meghana Basi ’21, Norwood, MA; Ziyan "Sandy" Jiang ’20, Boston, MA; Nuala Kilroy ’23, Arlington, MA; Sitong "Cindy" Liu ’21, Shenzhen, China; Olivia Na ’22, Seoul, South Korea; Caroline Solakian ’21, Sudbury, MA; Mia Swann ’20, Hook, United Kingdom; Fangzhuo "Wendy" Tang ’21, Beijing, China; Ruisi "Lily" Wu ’20, Shenzhen, China; Annie Zhu ’21, Palo Alto, CA

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CLASS NOTES

2008/2010

TEDDY WIGGINS ’08 and MARGEAUX MALONEY ’10, both violinists with New World Symphony, appeared in a segment on CBS Miami featuring musicians playing at home during the COVID-19 crisis.

2010

KRISTINA BERMUDEZ self-produced an event last December called “THIS.YOU an immersive evening.” Hosted at the Cosmic Fit Club in Long Island City, NY, this was a night of dance, immersive technology, video projection, spoken word, original live music, and more.

KACIE DRAGAN recently began her Ph.D. in health policy at Harvard University and has returned to the Boston area after nine years of living in NYC. JULIE MCNAMARA appeared last summer in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s production of The Sound of Music.

PETER MILL appeared as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Moonbox Productions’ pop-up production of The Rocky Horror Show last fall in Harvard Square.

Earlier this year, CONOR RYAN played Prince Devin in the Seattle-based world premiere of Bliss, a new musical fantasy that upends the traditional princess narrative.

ROSEMARY SALVUCCI has been appointed Principal Bass for Neue Philharmonie in Berlin, Germany.

In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, HARPER WATTERS was featured by Instagram, in a collaboration with Teen Vogue, for his role as an advocate standing up against bullying.

2011

MADELEINE CORLISS was one of 10 finalists for Broadway’s “Search for Roxie” last fall.

BELOW Harper Watters '10

2008/ 2011

CHRISTINE LUCIANO ’08 and BAILEY MOON ’11 recently met up in New York with Garrett Murphy '08 and Melissa Cassel.

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ABOVE Garrett Murphy '08, Mario Gonzalez '11, and Melissa Cassel

Melissa Cassel and Garrett Murphy '08 were thrilled to see MARIO GONZALEZ perform with L.A. Dance Project last October. The trio had a chance to catch up after the show.

SAMANTHA HANKEY’s winter schedule included two role reprisals with the Bayerische Staatsoper: as Mercedes in Carmen, a role she performed in last year’s Metropolitan Opera “Live in HD” broadcast, and as Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte, a role debuted earlier in the season with the Dallas

Opera. On April 1, she was slated to return to her alma mater, Juilliard, in a special alumni recital as part of the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Recital series. She was also scheduled to perform the Madrigal Singer in Manon Lescaut and cover Varvara in Kát’a Kabanová, both at the Metropolitan Opera.

2012

Pianist CHUANGCHUANG “PETER” FANG performed pieces from Brahms and Bach last summer at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, earning him a glowing review in the Boston Musical Intelligencer.

ROSAMUND HAWKINS is a violist who plays regularly with the Liverpool Philharmonic and occasionally with the BBC Philharmonia Orchestra. She also performs in a string quartet. Rosamund recently started a graduate course in orchestral performance with the City of Birmingham Symphony.

ERIKA OLSON performed in Cyrano, the New Group’s new musical www.walnuthillarts.org

Notes from the Hill

ABOVE Alynn Parola '12

adaptation of the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac. The production took place at the Daryl Roth Theatre and starred Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones fame.

ALYNN PAROLA is in the touring cast of Fiddler on the Roof, which played in Boston from February 25 to March 8. This was Alynn’s very first musical theater production, after majoring in dance at Walnut Hill and The Boston Conservatory!

ABOVE Drake Driscoll '14 with her colleagues

DANIEL SALAS recently joined the faculty of Columbia University, co-instructing a course on ethics in the nonprofit sector at the School of Professional Studies.

ALLISON WEYLER appeared in an October 2019 episode of NBC’s Chicago Med.

2013

AUDREY EMERSON recently started at Netflix in the role of Associate Producer for the Internal Production team.

GEORGE LI’s recording of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Liszt’s Solo Piano Works was released on October 18, 2019.

ASHLEY ROBILLARD was cast as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro as part of San Francisco Opera’s 2020 Merola Opera Program.

2014

Following Walnut Hill’s Non Nobis Solum spirit, cellist DRAKE DRISCOLL has recently embarked on a new endeavor, using

Regional Silver Key Awards: Sitong "Cindy" Liu ’21, Shenzhen, China; Natasha Rawls ’21, Colonia, NJ; Shie Ro ’21, Pudong, China; Ameir Taylor ’21, Nassau, Bahamas; Fangzhuo "Wendy" Tang ’21, Beijing, China; Ruisi "Lily" Wu ’20, Shenzhen, China; Jiatong "Olivia" Yu ’22, Yantai, China; Youyi "Louise" Wu ’20, Beijing, China; Annie Zhu ’21, Palo Alto, CA Regional Honorable Mention Awards: Meghana Basi ’21, Norwood, MA; Jingdan "Elena" Deng ’23, Wellesley, MA; Simone Gardner ’21, Auburn, CA; Katie Hanson ’21, Richmond, VA; Ava Horn ’20, Bedford, NY; Ziyan "Sandy" Jiang ’20, Boston, MA; Mia KelleyLanser ’23, Hopkinton, MA; Sitong "Cindy" Liu ’23, Shenzhen, China; Olivia Na ’22, Seoul, South Korea; Dai "Debby" Shi ’21, Nagykovacsi, Hungary; Youyi "Louise" Wu ’20, Beijing, China; Jiatong "Olivia" Yu ’22, Yantai, China; Annie Zhu ’21, Palo Alto, CA

LEFT George Li '13

2011/2016

AMELIA STURT-DILLEY ’11, currently in her fifth season with Charlotte Ballet, was featured in a spotlight video last September on the company’s social media channels. She was joined last year in Charlotte by REES LAUNER ’16, who is in his first year with the company.

2019 / 2020

Members of SpeakOut Boston came to share some inspiring words at an All-School Assembly this winter. They related

Behind Stowe | 19

CLASS NOTES Garrett Murphy '08 and Chief Development Officer Tobey Fossey (pictured at left) for a lovely dinner while the pair were visiting Japan.

Notes from the Hill their personal stories of coming out and overcoming adversity.

Houston Ballet soloist Harper Watters ’10 came to the Hill to teach a master class in the Dance Department.

Anna Williams ’04, Longy School of Music Instructor (center), came to campus for a special collaboration with WFMA majors, the Neave Trio, and students from the Longy School of Music.

We welcomed our Martin Luther King Jr. Day Assembly speaker, actor and deacon Sekou Laidlow, who recited MLK’s speech “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?,” and asked students, faculty, and staff in the audience to question how the teachings of Dr. King influenced our lives and the lives of those around us.

2 0 | Behind Stowe

her art to help others.

In 2018, along with violinist Timothy Chooi and violist Sarah Sung, Drake founded VISION, a musical collective, at the Juilliard School. VISION's recent project “Music for Harmony” aimed to build meaningful relationships with and among refugees and new Americans by sharing and exchanging music between diverse communities. The members of VISION held workshops in

which they talked to refugees and immigrants about the music of their home countries, then collaborated on a concert featuring pieces that reflect these conversations. In other news, Drake is now on the roster of the United Nations Chamber Music Society and worked at Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play Programs last summer.

In November, YUKI HORI and her parents met

This spring, EMILY MEREDITH and her friend Michael Roach recorded and posted a virtual duet of “No One Is Alone” from Into the Woods, as a way to remind viewers that they are not alone during the coronavirus pandemic.

ABOVE Samantha Gordon '15

KATHERINE “KAT” WARD set sail last August on the Queen Elizabeth, operated by Cunard Carnival Cruises. She performed in several onboard productions over six months while traveling through Europe, South Africa, and Australia.

BELOW Qianhe "Miranda" Li '15 and Whit Brown

2014/2015

KAT WARD ’14 and LYDIA TUFFY ’15, old friends and fellow Walnuts, were delighted to have the opportunity to reunite in London last summer. They are pictured here with a mutual friend. www.walnuthillarts.org

Last spring, BOSBA PANH (pictured left center) graduated from New England Conservatory with academic honors and as a Pi Kappa Lambda nominee.

2015

MATTHEW GILMORE recently moved to Aspen, CO, and is now dancing with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.

SAMANTHA GORDON played the role of Melodie on the March 3 episode of General Hospital.

Pianist QIANHE “MIRANDA” LI gave her senior recital last spring at New England Conservatory. Walnut Hill music faculty member Whit Brown was in attendance, and the two had the chance to catch up and pose for a photo after the performance.

MOSCELYNE PARKEHARRISON spent last summer in San Francisco, working with choreographer Robert Dekkers (director of Post:Ballet). She also worked on developing an original show entitled A place formerly known as Home with Collaborative Arts Ensemble, and was in residence at Avaloch Farms Music Institute last August. This past year, Moscelyne attended the Hubbard Street Professional Program.

MOSCELYNE PARKEHARRISON and SEAN LAMMER, along with their Juilliard classmate Mio Ishikawa, have founded BodySonnet, a new dance collective. The mission of BodySonnet is to create

Notes from the Hill

ABOVE Madison Vomastek '15

work that exemplifies dance as an intellectual, empowering, and accessible pursuit. The collective is supported by the inaugural Anthony Quinn Foundation Fellowship, and had their first residency earlier this year at Berkshire Pulse in Housatonic, MA. JUSTIN SHOWELL was cast last fall in San Francisco’s production of Hamilton. In February, he made his debut in the roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.

MADISON VOMASTEK is in the cast of the new West Side Story production on Broadway, and was seen in a recent 60 Minutes segment promoting the show.

2016 2014/2015/2017

NICOLE BURKE ’14, LYDIA TUFFY ’15, AUBRIANNA MAJEWSKI ’17, and BECKETT AZEVEDO ’17 enjoyed a Walnut Hill mini-reunion in London last October.

2018 / 2019

Three years after auditioning at Unifieds during the New York City Blizzard of 2016, EDWARD “TED” GIBSON and ALEXANDRA “ZAN” BERUBE, both in the Class of 2020 at the University of Michigan, performed for two weeks in October 2019 in concurrent

Theater alumna Audrey Emerson '13 collaborated with a film production team from across the country to write, direct, film, and produce a “sizzle reel” video to feature the student journey as an emerging artist studying one of the five majors: art, music, dance, theater, and writing, film & media arts. Stars of the show were Graham Campbell ’20, Simone Gardner ’21, Ameir Taylor ’21, Kannen Glanz ’20 (pictured), and Taylor Wang ’20, along with some other excellent student artist cameos. Go to walnuthillarts.org to see it!

This winter, visual art faculty and students welcomed Boston-viaPoland artist Ania Gilmore to discuss her Joomchi Korean papermaking installation.

Behind Stowe | 2 1

CLASS NOTES abroad—Ted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and Zan at Music Academy International in Italy. This past fall's concurrent shows allowed the Gibson and Berube families to reconnect in Ann Arbor for the first time since freshman move-in weekend.

Notes from the Hill

In January, LGBTQ activist Cathy Renna spoke to students during an All-School Assembly about her experience with the Matthew Shepard case and how Matt's legacy has informed our social, cultural, and political landscape ever since. This event preceded the Department's January Project performance of Craig Hella Johnson’s work Considering Matthew Shepard on campus and at New England Conservatory’s Brown Hall.

ABOVE Murphy Smith '16

UM productions. Ted (B.F.A. in Acting) played Edward in Sense and Sensibility, while Zan (B.F.A. in Musical Theatre) performed the role of Edith in The Pirates of Penzance. Both Walnuts have performed in several shows over their college careers, at UM and

SHANGWEN “JEFF” LIAO spent last summer at Tanglewood Music Center, working with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma. In August, Jeff was interviewed for a WBUR story about the program.

MURPHY SMITH’s music was scheduled to be featured in Women of the Wings: A Celebration of

ABOVE Si Hyun Uhm '16 with Whit Brown

Female Musical Theatre Writers Volume III at Feinstein’s/54 Below in mid-March.

Last August, SI HYUN UHM was chosen as one of five up-and-coming composers selected by the Nashville Symphony for their Composer

Walnut Hill’s WFMA History of Film class traveled to NYC this winter to see a special screening of Martin Scorsese’s epic crimegangster film The Irishman.

2015/2016

LENA SKEELE ’15 and EMERSON MAE SMITH ’16 both appeared in Two River Theater’s Love in Hate Nation, which made the New York Times’s reader picks list for the best theater of 2019.

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www.walnuthillarts.org

Notes from the Hill

ABOVE Still from the film by Harley Charmandy '17

Lab and Workshop, which culminated in a performance of her work by the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. She also caught up with music faculty member Whit Brown at a performance of her new mini-opera Sammy and Remmy, which was produced by Universal Artists Festival and was in residence at New England Conservatory last summer.

The Middlebury College men’s a cappella group The Dissipated Eight— along with new member Blair Jia ’19—came to perform for an All-School Assembly.

2016/2017/2018/2019

From Walnuts to Acorns . . . our four alumni currently attending Elon University (ANDREW PURDY ’16, OLIVIA FLOWERS ’17, ANDY EDELMAN ’18, and BROOKS ANDREW ’19) got together to show their Walnut Hill pride!

2017

BELOW Nadine Kostina '17 (center)

A new short film by HARLEY CHAMANDY, entitled The Maids Will Come on Monday, had its world premiere this March at the Manchester Film Festival in the UK. HANNAH CYR is finishing her three years of study at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

This was made possible by her acceptance into the partnership between Walnut Hill and The Conservatory that allows students to complete the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program in three years. While at The Conservatory, she has been a teaching assistant volunteer for Step by Step, a dance program

2019 / 2020

for individuals with autism and Down syndrome; led classes for Movement Matters, a dance program for seniors with limited ability; and traveled with JUNTOS Collective to Guatemala and Mexico to teach and perform for many different communities. Hannah was also accepted to the JUNTOS Ambassadors Program. Last summer, she was an intern for Boston University’s REACH summer dance outreach program.

NADEZHDA “NADINE” KOSTINA recently starred in a short film, Sonora, and attended the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Walnut Hill celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by welcoming to campus Boston writer and spoken word poet Cole Rodriguez, who regularly performs at community events and conducts workshops at area schools.

New York-based dance company PRETTY BIG MOVEMENT came to the Hill for an Assembly and an evening performance that featured some highenergy dance moves and a frank talk-back with the artists onstage on what it’s like to be modern working dancers. ◆

Behind Stowe | 2 3

CLASS NOTES member Laura Thielke (pictured left).

opportunities this past year, in Boston as well as across the country.

ANDREW “ANDY” EDELMAN appeared last summer in La Cage aux Folles at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston.

KAREN MOREY and MATT KRAUSS (pictured below) both attended the Tony Awards at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on June 9, 2019.

ISABELLE FAMA is currently studying public relations and French at Boston University, and is a member of the BU dance team.

The Gruppetto Trio, an honors ensemble at New England Conservatory featuring EVREN OZEL on piano, performed at Jordan Hall last May. The trio was coached by Laurence Lesser and also included SooBeen Lee on violin and Yunwen Chen on cello.

WHITNEY WILSON was crowned Miss Suffolk County 2019 and competed in last year’s Miss Massachusetts pageant.

2018

CHRYSTAL CHEN came back to visit Walnut Hill last May after a year spent studying politics in Reims, France, and was happy to catch up with music faculty

AVERY HELD performed this past winter in The Nutcracker at BalletMet, where she is a trainee.

Classmate KENDALL AL-BASHIR, who saw the final performance, reports: “I was blown away!”

YI EN “IAN” HSU is part of the Blanche Quartet, which was named the 2019–2020 New England Conservatory Honors String Quartet. They enjoyed many concert

ABOVE Yi En "Ian" Hsu '18 with Blanche Quartet

NOAH KELLY won First Place in the Fiddle Slow Airs category of the 2019 Fleadh Cheoil Mid-Atlantic Region, an Irish music competition. This qualified him to compete in the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (All-Ireland Feast of Music), held last August in Drogheda, Ireland.

KAREN MOREY attended last August’s Vail Film Festival in Colorado with her film From 6th Man to MVP.

2019

NOMZAMO “ZAMO” MLENGANA was recently interviewed by Joanne Joseph on a South African radio show, Afternoon Drive. Zamo spoke about being the first black South African woman to gain admission to Juilliard, as well as the first African to be admitted to study drama there. ◆

RIGHT Avery Held '18

2018/2019

Last December, JONATHAN VAN DE LOO ’19 and JENNA HOWARD-DELMAN ’18 starred opposite each other in the Northwestern University Arts Alliance’s production of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5. Jenna played the role of Judy, while Jonathan portrayed her ex-husband, Dick.

24 | Behind Stowe

www.walnuthillarts.org

TRUST E ES

Meet Our New Trustees Paula Drake Paula Drake is a friend of Walnut Hill, and works for HarbourVest Partners as head of the Legal and Regulatory Compliance team. She brings a strong mix of industry, government, and private law experience.

Paula joined HarbourVest from Och-Ziff Capital Management, where she was most recently Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Regulatory Officer, responsible for transforming and leading the Global Compliance department. Paula received a B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D., all as an English major at the University of Massachusetts, and a J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School. Paula lives in Boston with her husband, Fred.

Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins P'18 Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins serves as National Director for Interfaith Outreach for the Democratic National Committee. He also has served as Senior Pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and as Director of Faith Outreach for Enroll America. Dr. Harkins is an executive producer of the award-winning documentary The Rape of Recy Taylor and the soon-to-be-released A Crime on the Bayou. He is currently chair of the board of directors of Odyssey Television Networks. Derrick and his wife, Juli, reside in Manhattan. Their youngest daughter, Shannon, is a 2018 Walnut Hill graduate, having majored in dance.

Beiyan “Lillian” Li P'19 / '21 Beiyan “Lillian” Li is originally from Shanghai, China. She attended Jinan University, and has worked in the media industry for over 20 years. She’s a board member of V&P Media, where she works with the education division.

Lillian is also a member of the Blue Ocean Conservation Association, China’s first and most influential nonprofit marine conservation group.

Her two daughters, Muzi and Jingzi, are both Walnuts. Muzi graduated in 2019 as a visual art major, and Jing is now studying in the same department.

Benny Ibarra '89, P'17 / '21 Benny Ibarra De Llano was born in Mexico City into a family of singers, actors, producers, and writers. He began his professional singing career as part of Timbiriche, a kids’ pop band. He left the band to attend Walnut Hill School for the Arts and graduated in 1989. Benny has recorded 16 albums; been in four musicals, a monologue, and various movies; and has done voice-over work in films such as Sing and Trolls 2. He and his wife, Celina, are the proud parents of Walnuts María Ibarra del Villar ’17 and Mateo Ibarra del Villar ’21.

2019 / 2020

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WORTH THE READ

Walnut Hill Recommends

If the recent current events have taught us a secondary lesson, it’s that we could all use some meaningful, engaging, and—dare we say—fun distraction. And what better way to take a mental vacation from the present (tense) world as we know it than by reading a good book? Here are a few staff and faculty favorites this year.

Compiled by Jay Crawford-Kelly, Humanities Faculty takes to the lifeboats, and what follows is an epic tale of survival.

Ninety-three days later, only eight crew members are left alive to tell the tale. Where Moby-Dick ends, In the Heart of the Sea begins. The first time I picked this book up, I read it in one sitting.

Written by the parent of a Walnut (Ethan '03)!

Naomi Bailis, Theater Faculty Swing Time by Zadie Smith A deeply involving and beautifully detailed reflection on class and cultural appropriation played out on a celebrity-infatuated global stage. So hard to put this book down. Intimate and sweeping at the same time.

Josh Barnatt, Landscaper The Light of Other Days

by Stephen Baxter and Arthur C. Clarke A thought-provoking story that explores the development of wormhole technology to the level where information can be passed instantaneously between points in the space-time continuum.

Privacy becomes a thing of the past.

Ian Buttermore, Humanities Faculty and North House Dorm Parent In the Heart of the Sea

by Nathaniel Philbrick In the year 1819, the whaleship Essex is attacked by an enraged sperm whale and sinks. The crew 2 6 | Behind Stowe

Jay Crawford-Kelly, Humanities Faculty and Eliot Dorm Parent Ship of Theseus (or S.) by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst Do you love adventure movies?

Then you might love this book. The book seems to tell a conventional adventure story, but in the margins, two scholars carry on an increasingly heated conversation about the book and its mysterious author. The book includes actual postcards, notes on a napkin, sepia-toned photos, and more shoved between the pages.

Ben Gregg, Director of Academic Studies The Electric State

by Simon Stålenhag Stålenhag's graphic novel takes readers on a dark odyssey across a California that is equal parts 1990s nostalgia and brutal dystopia. Pages of gorgeous color paintings bring to life sweeping Pacific vistas juxtaposed with the skulking robot relics of an America shattered by excess.

Stålenhag has drawn an affecting but intimate and ambiguous portrayal of technology's impact.

Leticia Farrice, Eliot Dorm Parent As You Wish by Cary Elwes

As You Wish is a treat if, like me, your favorite movie is The Princess Bride. Cary Elwes, who plays Westley, recounts the making of the film from auditions to casting through production. Tidbits from costars as well as the screenwriter, producer, and director provide plenty of backstage stories about the movie that no one thought would ever get made but went on to become a classic.

Inconceivable!

Kathy Liu, Math & Science Faculty The Wives of Los Alamos

by TaraShea Nesbit While their famous scientist husbands were working on a secret government project, these women, uprooted from their lives from around the world, created a community for their families on an isolated mesa in the desert.

Caroline Lowe, Humanities Faculty Gardens in the Dunes

by Leslie Marmon Silko Silko’s book tells of a person torn between two worlds and trying to make sense of her position in between. This is one of those books that presents you with many threads over the course of the book and then by the end has woven them into a beautiful tapestry—rewarding those who stick along for the ride. If you like nature, plants, native worldviews, and brief glimpses of tethers to actual events, read this book!

www.walnuthillarts.org

Amber Oakley, World Languages Faculty Ender’s Game

by Orson Scott Card The human race, confronting an alien threat, trains its most brilliant young people for war.

Despite being in a military space opera, however, the protagonist's power stems not from physical force but from compassion. This novel resonates with me especially now, in our polarized world, because of its message of understanding and compassion as powerful bridges across cultural and emotional divides.

in love with the characters, untangle political plots, explore the solar system, and experience governments on the brink of war.

generational tales, dysfunction is what imprints on the children, here it is a deep love that fuels their impairment.

Kelly Tempest, Humanities Faculty and Highland Dorm Parent The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided

by Politics and Religion

by Jonathan Haidt I know plenty of good people who identify as liberals, and plenty who identify as conservatives. I also know that people on both sides of the political spectrum believe passionately that they are right, and they each have difficulty seeing the other side's point of view. This book (written by a psychology professor at my college, UVA!) uses moral psychology to show us why.

Regardless of your political affiliations, if you want to understand people who think differently from you, this is your book!

Antonio Viva, Head of School Leonardo da Vinci

by Walter Isaacson

Erika Picciotto, World Languages Faculty and Bishop Dorm Parent The Island of Sea Women

by Lisa See

Without question one of the greatest artists and creative thinkers of all time, Leonardo da Vinci serves as an extraordinary reminder of what it means to live a life devoted to art, creativity, scientific study, and curiosity. This biography paints a fascinating portrait of a man who was truly inspired to explore and create, all against the backdrop of the Italian Renaissance. Every artist and creative person should take the time to read this biography.

This historical fiction is a story about the friendship between two women from very different backgrounds, set on the Korean island of Jeju. This is not a light read, but it’s one that has made a deep impact on me, especially as an Asian American woman.

Nick Zanussi, Math & Science Faculty and Bishop Dorm Parent The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos

by Leonard Mlodinow

Matt Seifert, WFMA Faculty Leviathan Wakes (Book 1 in the Expanse series)

by James S.A. Corey

Game of Thrones, but in space!

This book manages to capture the grandiose nature of a space opera, while boiling the conflict down to its most basic element… humanity sucks. You will fall 2019 / 2020

Jennifer TumSuden, Development Staff, Humanities Faculty, and Bishop Dorm Parent The Most Fun We Ever Had

by Claire Lombardo The title refers to a halfhearted quip that becomes a longstanding inside joke between husband and wife. The novel follows Marilyn and David Sorenson and their four daughters for over three decades. While in many multi-

The book follows the evolution of human thought throughout the development of our species, cultures, civilizations, and more. It is fascinating to understand how we existed for so long without the breadth of knowledge that we feel is absolutely necessary today.

Behind Stowe | 2 7

AROUND THE WORLD

A Year to Remember

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his year, we made an effort to travel the world from Seoul to Soho, from Glasgow to Germany to celebrate Walnut Hill at parties, dinners, and performances. Here is a glimpse of some folks who took the time to share your enthusiasm for (and many stories of!) Walnut Hill with us. â—†

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2019 / 2020

1: Falmouth, MA, gathering hosted by Sandra Delbridge P’00/’05 2: The annual Winter Warmer celebrating our generous volunteers 3: Los Angeles, CA, gathering hosted by Georgia Lassner ‘05 4: Fans from Walnut Hill attending Pagliacci at Boston Lyric Opera starring Lauren Michelle ‘00 5: Boston Young Alumni Event at M. Steinert & Sons 6: Seoul, South Korea, Alumni Event 7: Dinner in Glasgow, Scotland 8: Tour of the Norton Museum of Art and Cocktail Hour hosted by Trustee John Paolella and his wife, Museum Director Elliot Bostwick Davis 9: Tokyo, Japan, Alumni Event 10: Dinner in Longboat Key, FL, hosted by Libby Lummus Keenan ‘53 11: Miami event hosted

by Adrienne Gang ‘66 12: Gathering in London, England 13: Dinner in Berlin, Germany Behind Stowe | 2 9

THANK YOU

Thank You to Our Generous Ellison Circle

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he influence of a Walnut Hill experience lasts a lifetime, as does the impact of a Walnut Hill education.

It is no small thing that so many members of our community choose to remember our School in a very meaningful way, by making Walnut Hill School for the Arts a part of their estate planning.

The Ellison Circle, named in honor of Beatrice Edgerly Ellison, Class of 1911, is an honorary association of individuals whose legacy gifts have already been received or someday will accrue to Walnut Hill. It was established to celebrate the spirit of philanthropy that has nurtured the School since it was founded.

We are deeply grateful to these donors and their families for choosing to be a part of the Ellison Circle, which will play an essential role in the future of our beloved institution.

Anonymous (13) Carole Allen-Scannell Maura and Ted Almy P’06 Eleanor Pope Abel Ammen ’46* Diane Sheaffer Anderson ’49* Gayle Barlow Atkinson ’66 Joan Griggs Babbott ’44* Ellen Brooks Baldwin ’54* John M. Baldwin* Lola Fortmiller Baldwin ’51 Jane Stocker Barrett ’56 Marie Gaffney Barry ’36* Martha Lord Bass ’41* Lisa Currier Batchelder ’65 Pauline Brown Baugh ’52 Morgan Rose Beckwith ’09 Katharine Hubbard Bell ’42* Margaret Cline Bessels ’39* Anne Ruder Bever ’41* Constance Judkins Bowman ’40* Margaret McNeil Boyer ’54 Elizabeth Berry Breene ’35* George Brett Jr. P’73* Katharine Gage Brooks ’34* Elizabeth Cooley Brown ’28* Katharine Perry Bryan ’09* Lois Werme Bull ’46* Mollie Tower Byrnes ’63 Elizabeth Callaway ’60 Elizabeth Main Cannon ’45* Sarah Cannon ’58 Mary Bishop Catto ’35* Priscilla Cobb ’41* Priscilla Coffin ’62 Carol Cronk Cole ’50 3 0 | Behind Stowe

Natalie Foster Colmore ’59 Marjory Cook Condit ’48* Frances Fuller Connelly ’39* Christie Coon ’60 Mabel Thompson Cowen ’14* Nicole Gallant Criss ’92 Anne Crolius ’40* Eleanor H. Crosby* Connie Cross ’59 Mary Esther Williams Dasenbrock ’39* Reed Dasenbrock Ann G. Davis ’57 Sandra Hall Davis ’60 Susan Callender Davy ’65 Elisabeth Shirley Day ’54* Peggy O'Hearn Denby ’50* Barbara Coryell Devor ’42* Mitchell Dielhenn P’61* Molly Hunter Dobson ’40 Harriet Dodds ’42* Lisa Fabbricotti Drake ’73 Georgia Goss Drew ’47* Mary C. Dye/Dunham ’51 Constance Allen Eastburn ’54 Elisabeth Roberts Ebert ’22* Joanne Elfers ’69* Elizabeth Wertz Ellis P’52* Beatrice Edgerly Ellison ’11* Constance Crehore Ezer ’50 Kelly R. Feeney Jane Ferguson ’66 Margaret Finch ’63 Elisabeth West FitzHugh ’44* Gertrude McCabe Freedman ’42*

Louise Hodgkins Freeman ’51 Nathena Fuller ’37* Genevieve H. Gagnebin P’57* Nicole Gakidis ’81, P’18 Weezie Hammond Garrison ’67 Sarah Gordon Gayley ’22* Lueza Thirkield Gelb ’48* Jane Gilday ’64 Olive (Milne) Smith Glaser ’47 Martha Unobskey Goldner ’50 Kristin Goodwillie P’02 Constance Woodworth Goss ’24* Lainey Platt Goss ’66 Janet Graves ’13* Mary Baum Guernsey ’41* Jane Hahn ’88 Charlotte I. Hall ’50 Marcia Hall ’58 Patricia Hall ’62* Patricia Wardley Hamilton ’48 Justine Hand ’88 Robert J. Hanger* Nancy Sawtelle Harris ’62 Freddie H. Hart P’92 Mary (Sherry) Sherrard Howell Hatch ’52 Carol Hauptfuhrer ’65 Katharine Hayward Hayward ’15* Janet Holly ’56 Constance Chang Hsu ’23* Lisa Leinbach Huertas ’76 Francis O. Hunnewell* Anne Moody Ingersoll ’51* Baila Issokson Janock ’58 www.walnuthillarts.org

Jennifer Jewiss ’84 Linda Sherman Johnston ’55* Raymond C. Jopling Jr.* Jacqueline Joyner P’15 Kathleen Kalbfleisch ’47* Libby Lummus Keenan ’53 Jane Oxford Keiter ’60 and Robert E. Keiter Martha D. Kleinman Barbara C. Knickerbocker, Ph.D. ’68 Anne Koenig ’67 Sabreena Kiviat Kropp ’94 Pam Apostol Kukla ’63 Marianne Durham Lakatos ’37* Heidi Over Lantz ’87 Eve Anna Larner ’86 Lorna Learned Learned ’24* Lois Aronson Lopatin ’58 Gail Rosenberg Ludvigson ’60* Amelia (Lee) Marks ’66 Emily H. Marks P’66* Jenny Toolin McAuliffe P’15 Marcia Hunter Matthews ’63 Wiley McCarthy ’79 Elizabeth Paine McClendon ’65 Linda Harper McLane ’66 Rose Bochnicek Merrill ’33 Sarah Tizane Mills ’62 Margaret (Peggy) Cowan Moller ’40 Charlotte A. Moran Nancy Porter Morrill ’56 Mary Barlow Mueller ’65 Shirley Maddix Murray ’33*

Virginia Gaylord Neely ’38* Arthur H. Nelson* Dorothy Bigelow Neuberger ’54 Esther Knox Newton ’27* Holger Nissen* Gertrude Nott Nott ’26* Addie Russell Novaco ’56 Beatrice Allen Page ’29 Susan ’64 and Joseph Paresky Julia Parker '13* Susan Rothschild Peirson ’55 Stephanie B. Perrin Jo-Ann Edinburg Pinkowitz ’66 Alice C. Platt P’66* Jane Horner Politzer ’47* Dinny Hall Polson ’53 Agatha W. Poor P’65* Henri Prunaret* Judith Kalloch Racely ’51* Margaret Rathbone ’28* Mary Bartlett Reynolds ’48* Suzanne Sullivan Riedel ’88 Mary Motto Robertson ’49* Virginia Clark Robinson ’33* DeAnne Rosenberg ’57 Ruth B. Rothseid ’70 Elizabeth Ruff GP’19 Sylvia Burleigh Sanchez ’46 Eleonore Phillips Sanderson ’52 Ruth Stoller Scheer ’57 Ann and Tom Schwarz P’81 William M. Scranton P’72* Margaret Campbell Senter ’23* Mathilde Parmelee Sewall ’28* Giselle Shepatin ’76

Nancy Stone Shilts ’59 Carolyn Kinsey Singers ’42 Mary-Anne Vance Smith ’42* Virginia Hodgkins Somers ’30* Ann Bacon Spooner ’67 Cheryl St. George* Natalie Palmer Stanwood ’41* Ann Brown Staples ’48* Shiv and Monisha Tasker Marianna Bate Taylor ’44 Charles G. Thacher Ann Colucci Thompson ’67 Carol Skillin Thwaits ’54 Courtney Greene Tomaselli ’94 Cynthia Goodhart Tracy ’36 Ruth G. Van Doren P’86 Joanne E. Weed P’07 Jennifer Wells ’87 Elizabeth A. Wheeler Meg Fallon Wheeler ’62 Robert B. Wheeler* John T. Williams Kathryn Williams ’71 Louise Boyer Williams P’71 Margaret Klous Williams ’12* Mary Mitchell Williams ’42* Rebecca Gallagher Williams ’22* Bertine Niles Willis ’34* Susan Beach Willis ’52* Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Wright Jackson W. Wright Jr.* Carole Yeager ’61 Suzanne Smith Yeaw ’49 Julie Nevius Young ’56 * Deceased

WHAT legacy WILL YOU LEAVE ON THE HILL? Join the Ellison Circle giving society by making a planned gift to Walnut Hill and help shape the future of arts and culture by encouraging a generation of dynamic young artists.

Call or email for more details: 5019 OR ELLISON@WALNUTHILLARTS.ORG

2018 / 2019

Behind Stowe | 31

A YEAR IN REVIEW

New/Ink Rough Cuts October 25, 2019

Chamber Music Concert November 14, 2019

Top Girls

Voice Recital

November 14–17, 2019

October 25, 2019

Let It Be : A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles

Voice Recital December 6, 2019

October 25–27, 2019

New Ink/ Rough Cuts

The Nutcracker

November 3 Composers’ Concert November 10, 2019

3 2 | Behind Stowe

December 10–15 &

Voice Recital 20–21, 2019

December 10

www.walnuthillarts.org

Script to Screen January 30, 2020

Chamber Music Celebrations December 16 & 18, 2019

Winter Visual Art Show January 17, 2020

Alexander, Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move February 1–2, 2020

Composers’ Concert February 13, 2020

January Project: Considering Matthew Shepard January 23 & 24, 2020

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Jazz Ensemble Concert

The Tempest

January 28, 2020

February 27–March 1, 2020

Behind Stowe | 33

RIGHT AT HOME

Far from Home, Yet Right at Home

by Amanda Grazioli

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loves, masks, cookies, time . . . these are just a few of the many generous contributions members of the Walnut Hill community made when something unprecedented happened this spring. For the first time in the School’s history, the campus remained open for Spring Break to house 68 international students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While many schools asked international students to travel home as planned or relocate to homestays, the decision to keep Walnut Hill open over break was an easy one. “The difference between a day school and a boarding school is that once students are here on campus, they are ours,” explained Dean of Students Melissa Cassel. “We felt it was our responsibility to keep them safe—and we found a way to do it at no extra cost to families.”

So, this March, when the campus typically would have closed for two weeks, staff instead prepared to house students from China, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Parents were relieved and grateful to have a community they trusted looking after their children. In an email to Dean of Students Melissa Cassel, Beiyan “Lillian” Li P’19 & ’21 wrote, “These times are so unsettling for us all. But you let me and many Chinese parents know we made the correct decision in choosing Walnut Hill. ... I am proud of your commitment and courage.”

Communication on WeChat and over Zoom kept families connected and eased anxiety.

International Program 34 | Behind Stowe

Coordinator Lauren Johanson, aided by a parent translator, arranged video chats to answer questions. She also invited other Walnut Hill staff to participate.

Director of Health Services Beth Minnucci spoke about precautions being taken on campus, School Counselor Eve Berman gave tips on how to support teens during the pandemic, and Director of College Counseling Sarah Lovely discussed the pandemic’s impact on the college admissions process.

Johanson remarked, “Strangely, this awful situation has pushed me to do something I’d wanted to try all along—to engage international parents in this way—and it is something I see continuing after the pandemic ends.”

As Walnut Hill staff cared for the students, the same students’ parents reciprocated that care by organizing shipments of masks and gloves to the campus.

Meanwhile, domestic parents helped out by sending plenty of snacks for the dorms.

In true Walnut Hill fashion, an incredible team of adults on campus stepped up to ensure that the students had everything they needed to stay safe, fed, and entertained. The Dining Hall, usually buzzing with activity, was transformed to comply with social distancing guidelines. Before long, Dining Services needed to transition to a boxed meals model, making delicious food available for easy pickup. The Facilities team quickly adapted to more thorough procedures to keep buildings and common areas clean and sanitized.

The Health Center, under Minnucci’s expert leadership, advised on policies to keep the

students safe and advocated on behalf of the School on the few instances when community members required COVID-19 testing (in all cases, the tests were thankfully negative!).

Initially, there had been many excursions and programs planned to keep students busy. However, as the crisis rapidly escalated in Massachusetts, those plans had to be quickly canceled, and individual and small-group entertainment on campus became a priority.

The piano tuner was, of course, deemed an essential employee so that music practice rooms could remain open. “I play piano and being able to use the practice rooms during this experience has brought me much comfort,” www.walnuthillarts.org

Art studios and the Fitness Center were also made available for student use, with extra precautions in place. Instead of participating in the usual bustle of campus, students enjoyed more sleep and small joys like raiding the School Store’s snack stash or participating in “Takeout Friday,” a weekly ritual group order from a local restaurant.

“I’ve been deeply impressed by everyone’s flexibility as the situation changes daily,” observed Crawford-Kelly. “Melissa [Cassel] has been working so hard to lead this effort. She seems to think of everything—even buying toasters for all of the dorms to use for the donated snacks and boxed meals from the Dining Hall. Individual Dorm Parents have been so giving of their time. Everyone has stepped up to make the students feel as supported, safe, and comfortable as possible.”

Humanities faculty member Jay Crawford-Kelly and his wife, Diane, have been Dorm Parents in Eliot Hall for 18 years. In all of those years, they have never experienced anything remotely like this spring on the Hill.

Throughout the decades, there have been many examples of Walnut Hill’s motto, Non Nobis Solum (Not for Ourselves Alone), but few have been this monumental. Even as the School’s campus officially came to an early

shared Yen Yu “Tiffany” Lin ’21. "One good part of this experience has been having so much time to practice.”

2019 / 2020

close, nearly 20 students remained on campus, with some planning to stay over the summer.

“When we started the school year, my charge to the community was to live our motto Non Nobis Solum as fully as we could. I could never have imagined that it would be tested in the way COVID-19 has,” noted Head of School Antonio Viva. “It has been taxing and challenging, but also rewarding and full of growth. I think we can feel confident that in every action we have taken, ‘not for ourselves alone’ has been the guiding principle that has led the way.” ◆

ABOVE Left to right: Dieer “Alicia” Hu ’20, Jinhan “Jack” Hu ’23, Bingkun “Kenneth” Wang ’22, Ziyuan “Eric” Qu ’21, Yen Yu “Tiffany” Lin ’21, Xiangyu “Shawn” Lian ’20 Behind Stowe | 35

ALUMNI AFAR

Spring Alumni Adventures

by Garrett Murphy '08

Find A Walnut Week was born out of a reality that Walnut Hill only had emails for 40% of living alumni. With the rising costs of printing and changing algorithms on social media, our primary vehicle of communication is email. And it is thereby critical to have the ability to reach our alumni directly via their inboxes.

Throughout the week of April 15–22, alumni board members, officers, and agents collected new contact information for well over 125 alumni and engaged countless more as a result of the effort.

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On Saturday, April 25, we held our first-ever Virtual Reunion, which began with video greetings from longtime and former faculty members: Anne Murphy, Michael and Bobbi Owen, Margaret Funkhouser, Jim Woodside and Holly Worthington, Nancy Fraser, Jenny Elowitch, Nancy Wilson, Whit Brown, Kathy Liu, Steve Durning, and Melissa Cassel.

Our annual Alumni Showcase this year featured HaeSun Paik '83 with her daughter Anna Choi '21, Liberty Bradford '88, Dr. Jennifer Caudle '95, Walker Vreeland '97, Charlie Hodges

'98 and Kate Hutter '00, Joshua Holden '01, Briga Heelan '05, Joe Walsh '06, Gen Tomuro '07, Harper Watters '10, Audrey Emerson '13, and Justin Showell '15. In addition, by virtue of the video format, we were able to feature montages from each of the decades 1960–2000s.

If you weren't able to catch the showcase, it is available on our YouTube channel.

Virtual class gatherings hosted on Zoom by alumni went on well into the night with drop-ins from many of our wonderful faculty. We had well over 350 www.walnuthillarts.org

alumni take part in the festivities.

While our spring events were a departure from our expectations, being able to connect with far-flung friends, meet kids and partners, and get a greater glimpse into each other’s lives proved that the virtual format has its merits. We look forward to incorporating more ways to engage online, even once we are able to yet again welcome visitors to campus and meet in person around the globe.

On Sunday, we capped off the weekend with a virtual tea hosted by former Dorm Parents Heather and Ron Reid from their apartment in Natick, where they have retired.

We invite you to visit the Alumni section of the Walnut Hill website frequently. Check out the “Stay Connected” page for a calendar of alumni offerings, resources for artists, a list of alumni businesses to support, and to update your contact information. We want to hear from you! It is times like these when we are reminded that community is more important than ever. ◆

ABOVE View of the virtual tea at the Reids' abode and the 2020 Virtual Reunion that premiered on Walnut Hill’s YouTube channel this spring

Find A Walnut Week STAY CONNECTED APRIL 15–22, 2020 VISIT WALNUTHILLARTS.ORG/ALUMNI TO STAY IN TOUCH! 2019 / 2020

Behind Stowe | 37

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WRITING, FILM & MEDIA ARTS

THANKS FOR SHARING! #WALNUTHILLARTS Although COVID-19 separated us all by time, space, and circumstance, we needed to continue to engage as a community, even if we did not have the luxury of many of our everyday resources and tools. Walnuts the world over took to Instagram to share the art (and food!) they made, the feelings they felt, and the way we can find solace in one another in this upended world.

2019 / 2020

Behind Stowe | 39

IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam

We fondly remember the following members of the Walnut Hill community.

(As of April 15, 2020)

BARBARA PERRIN VAN BUREN ’35 passed away on October 7, 2019, four days before her 102nd birthday. Barbara was born in Worcester, MA, and attended Smith College, followed by secretarial school in Boston. She married Henry Griffith Van Buren in 1940 and lived in Brooklyn Heights, NY, until 1947, when they moved to Riverside, CT, where she lived until her death.

Barbara and her husband were active with both the First Congregational Church and the Rocky Point Club of Old Greenwich. She is survived by one daughter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

ELLEN LUCEY HORSBURGH ’40 passed away on April 25, 2019, at the age of 97. At the time of her death, she lived in Mahopac, NY. ELIZABETH BRYANT MEIGS ’41 passed away on September 14, 2019, at the age of 96. Kelley, as she was known, spent many years traveling the world with her parents, living in Panama, China, the Philippines, and the United States. She raised her five children in Orland, ME, teaching and encouraging them to enjoy the road of life.

Kelley was an active member of the Bangor Art Society and created a total of 625 individual paintings that now 4 0 | Behind Stowe

grace homes around the country. She was an ardent Maine Guide amid the state’s wild forests, rivers, and mountains; held a private pilot’s license; and was an avid snow skier, belonging to the 80+ club at the Camden Snow Bowl.

At 84, she traveled to Newfoundland and Labrador with three of her children, where she sailed off the coast for 12 days, sighting whales and icebergs while also visiting the local villages.

In earlier years, she dogsledded through the Yukon and Baffin Island, even building igloos to sleep in along the way.

Kelley spent her last years at her favorite home, a summer cottage on the shores of Swan Lake in Searsport, ME, that she had converted into a cozy year-round residence for her family to enjoy.

Kelley is survived by four children, 13 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and her stepchildren.

MARY ANN GOODALE ROBINSON ’41 passed away on December 24, 2019, at the age of 96. She was born and raised in Wethersfield, CT, the youngest of six. Mary’s ancestors reached America in the 17th century and included Connecticut governor Thomas Welles, Revolutionary War general Rufus Putnam, and several of Wethersfield's founding

families. She attended Bradford Junior College before marrying the love of her life, the late John C. Robinson, M.D. In the early 1950s, John and Mary settled in West Hartford to raise their family, before moving to Glastonbury in the early ’70s. They made their final move, in 2006, to the Avery Heights retirement community, where John spent the rest of his life, until his passing in 2011 after 68 beautiful years of marriage. A kind and gentle soul, Mary was a proud stay-at-home mom to her two children, willingly driving Dick, Martha, and their friends to after-school events, weekend jaunts, and especially their favorite bowling alley. Mary is survived by two children (including Martha-Ann Robinson Crevier ’65), six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.

H. ALICE DODDS ’42 passed away on September 21, 2019, at the age of 95. Alice was a graduate of Wellesley College. She began her career in educational testing and went on to work in archives. She was a lover of travel, books, theater, and music, and she greatly enjoyed living in Cambridge, MA, surrounded by learning and history. Alice had fun entertaining and participating in lively

discussions. Described by friends as “one of a kind,” she captivated people with her energy, passion, humor, and the depth of her knowledge.

Having spent her young childhood in India, she often dined with friends in Indian restaurants and shared fascinating stories about her experience.

She worked well into her 80s, and was passionate about many issues as a longtime Democrat. Alice is survived by her cousins, nieces, nephews, and many loving friends.

DIANE MARSHALL SCHUPP ’43 passed away on February 7, 2019, at the age of 94. She attended Coe College before graduating from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Diane met Joseph Schupp Jr. while attending the university, and they were wed in 1951.

The couple settled in Des Moines, where they raised their seven children. Diane was active in the Des Moines community and was a member of the PEO, Mercy Hospital Guild, and Junior League. She was an avid supporter of the arts, the Public Library, and Catholic education.

As the quiet force within her rambunctious family, she loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She had a competitive spirit and enjoyed tennis, golf, table tennis, bridge, cribbage, and skiing. www.walnuthillarts.org

In retirement, she and Joe loved to spend time at their summer lake home in Minnesota.

Diane is survived by one brother, seven children, 31 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

RUTH ROBINSON CHEWNING ’44 passed away on September 12, 2019, at the age of 92. She was born in Springfield, MA, and was a direct descendant of Rev. John Robinson, known as “the pastor to the Pilgrim Fathers.” After graduating from Smith College, Ruth became a stewardess with Pan American World Airways, where she met her husband, John, who was a pilot. They lived in New York and San Francisco before settling on Key Biscayne, FL, in 1955. She was active as a deacon at the Key Biscayne Community Church, and as a member of the Key Biscayne Women’s Club, Garden Club, Yacht Club Seabelles, Smith College Club, and World Wings International. She was a volunteer at Mercy Hospital for many years.

Ruth is survived by three children, one stepchild, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

JOAN ARMSTRONG ’45 passed away in November 2019, at the age of 92.

She attended Connecticut College and worked at MassMutual Insurance Trust as well as Arthur D. Little, a management consulting firm.

2018 / 2019

MARY ANNE TONGUE ROIG ’45 passed away on May 13, 2019, at the age of 91. She proudly lived all of her life in Poughkeepsie, NY, until joining her family in South Carolina in November 2018. Mary was a graduate of Bennett College in Millbrook, NY. In 1948, she married Herbert S. Roig, who predeceased her in September 1992. As a longtime volunteer in her beloved Poughkeepsie community, she was commended for her efforts on behalf of the Vassar Brothers Medical Center Auxiliary and the former Nearly New Shop, and was recognized for serving as a member of the Junior League for 50 years. She also spent many years volunteering on committees of the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, especially Junior Affairs, where her children were most active. She and her husband were recognized for 20 years of service related to the Junior Davis Cup committee of the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, as well as their both serving on the Dutchess County Historical Society. Mary is survived by two children, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one nephew.

ELEANOR POPE ABEL AMMEN ’46 passed away on August 5, 2019, at the age of 90. She was born in Cambridge, MA, and raised in nearby Swampscott. Eleanor received her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College in 1950, and

later, as a young mother, she returned to school to receive a master’s degree in library science from Simmons College.

She was employed as a law librarian in Boston for many years, and as a librarian at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead, MA. For over 30 years, Eleanor resided in Avon, CT, where she was involved with the Town and County Club, the Avon Free Public Library, the Hartford-area Wellesley Club, and the Hartford Symphony Volunteer Association. Eleanor and her future husband, David Ammen, met while she was a freshman at Wellesley, and reunited and married 58 years later. They enjoyed almost 14 years of marriage, during which they wintered at the Hualalai Resort in Hawaii and the Ocean Reef Club on Key Largo, FL, and spent holidays and summers in Marblehead and Cotuit, MA. Eleanor was an avid reader, and also enjoyed travel, golf, and skiing. She is survived by three children (including Katherine Switzer Pelletier ’79), two stepchildren, five grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

LYDIA CASAVANT HECK ’46 passed away on April 6, 2020, at the age of 91. She had an active career with Girl Scouts USA, traveling the globe to set up Girl Scout troops on US military bases. She also served as Dean of Students at Cardinal Cushing

College. Lydia was an active communicant at St. Joseph’s Parish in Needham, MA, and was involved with the WINGS group as a leader and an active participant. Her grandchildren enjoyed her creative activities, from building gingerbread houses at Christmas to initiating scavenger hunts and improv skits. Lydia is survived by her loving husband of 39 years, Abraham L. Heck, as well as three stepchildren and 10 grandchildren.

ROSEMARY JAICKS FLINN ’47 passed away on October 1, 2019, at the age of 89. Born in Hinsdale, IL, she moved to New York City with several of her close college roommates after graduating from Smith College in 1951. It was there she met the love of her life, George Macdonald Flinn. They were married in 1956 and lived in the New York suburb of Scarsdale until retiring to Lakeside, MI, in the late ’90s. George preceded her in death in 2012, after 56 years of marriage. A loving mother and homemaker, Rosemary was first and foremost a people person, often saying that people were “her hobby.” She loved visiting with friends and family and discussing everything from current world events to the latest football score of her beloved Bears. She was an avid reader who began each day reading the New York Times cover-to-cover with her morning coffee.

Having long ago hung up her golf clubs and tennis Behind Stowe | 4 1

racket, she relished her weekly bridge games.

Rosemary is survived by three children, two grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

DIANA BARROWS SUNDEEN ’47 passed away on August 3, 2019, at the age of 89. She grew up in Wellesley, MA, and received her B.A. from Vassar College in 1951. After raising her four children in Wellesley, she received her master’s degree from Framingham State Teachers College. Diana enjoyed water activities and had homes on two lakes in New Hampshire, the inland waterway in Florida, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard.

Over her lifetime, she renovated many homes, including two historic houses, the Theodore Rider House (1750) in Medway, MA, and the Mariner Goodwin House (1710) in Newburyport, MA. Diana is survived by two siblings, four children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

ELEANOR “ELLY” ERNST THOMPSON ’47 passed away on December 12, 2019, at the age of 89. She was born in West Newton, MA, and raised in nearby Wellesley. Elly attended Wellesley High School before graduating from Walnut Hill. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College in 1951.

She then worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston, before moving to Wenham, MA, where she 42 | Behind Stowe

managed her husband John’s dental practice.

Elly was the director of the Wenham Museum from 1976 until her retirement in 1998. While there, she developed children’s education programs, led research efforts into the history of the Claflin-Richards House, and earned the museum certification from the American Alliance of Museums. Her enduring achievement was the renovation and expansion of the museum, completed in 1997. In 2001, Elly began work at the Endicott College Archives. She also volunteered for Mount Holyoke College as a scribe, class agent, and club treasurer. She served on several committees to help ensure the future of the Town of Wenham’s buildings and infrastructure. Elly loved to travel with friends and family, both throughout New England and in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Yet her favorite place was Bear Island on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, where she spent every summer of her life at a camp built by her beloved grandfather, William Puffer. This was her cathedral. Elly is survived by one sister, four children, and five grandchildren.

JANE MOFFAT MUELLER ’48 passed away on December 30, 2019, at the age of 89.

She was born in Scranton, PA, and received her B.A. from Wellesley College.

Jane was a homemaker and an active community volunteer, serving on

the boards of several organizations, including the Visiting Nurse Association, Family and Children's Service, United Way, YWCA, Women’s Symphony Association, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, WITF, and Community Concert Association. Jane is best remembered for her work on behalf of the Fulton Theatre; she served as Board President from 1981 to 1985, and during this period she also served in a volunteer capacity as the theater’s manager so it would not close. She was also an active member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster.

Jane is survived by her husband, Paul A. Mueller Jr., three children, and five grandchildren.

HELEN BURROUGHS STERN ’48 passed away on November 11, 2019, at the age of 89.

Born in Manchester, NH, Leni (as she was known) attended Wells College and Smith College before her marriage to Henry Sedgwick, with whom she lived in Montreal before their divorce.

In 1957, Leni met Philip Stern, an adviser to Adlai Stevenson and future Assistant Secretary of State in President John F. Kennedy’s administration.

The couple married and co-wrote a book together before divorcing in 1972.

Soon after, Leni received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from George Washington University. For many years, she maintained a home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, serving as an art teacher and

benefactor for a Mexican orphanage before returning permanently to Washington, DC, in the early 1990s. Leni was a pianist, painter, sculptor, collector, and philanthropist who helped found the Washington Gallery of Modern Art. She was a multifaceted whirlwind of energy who worked in her studio, chaired the board of the museum, and hosted dinner parties for Washington’s political insiders, all while raising five children. Leni is survived by her partner of 25 years, William Upton, in addition to one sister, five children, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

ANN WINANS CARSON ’49 passed away on November 27, 2019, at the age of 87. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1953, and later in her life received M.S.W. and Master of Divinity degrees. After 22 years of experiences as a minister and counselor, she ultimately became a professional speaker, sharing her insights about empowerment, inspiration, and relationships. Ann was an active member of her church in Austin, TX, and also volunteered at a local center for Alzheimer’s patients. She is survived by her children and grandchildren.

CYNTHIA REYNOLDS FOSS ’49 passed away on June 25, 2019, at the age of 87. A resident of Houston, TX, she spent her final days with her family in Dalton, GA. www.walnuthillarts.org

IN MEMORIAM Besides her family, Cynthia loved to garden, paint, golf, play bridge, ski, play the piano, and take care of all her special cats throughout the years. Cynthia made every Christmas magical and unforgettable for her family, and enjoyed hosting her grandchildren in Texas during summer vacations. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, David Foss, in addition to four children, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

CALLIE INGRAM ROBERTSON ’49 passed away on September 28, 2019, at the age of 88.

She was born on her family’s ranch in Glendo, WY. Her father passed away when Callie was just 4. After her mother remarried, Callie's family moved frequently, especially during the war years. One of her fondest memories was attending Punahou School in Honolulu, HI, while her stepfather was serving in the Navy in the Pacific Theater.

A talented artist, Callie attended the Philadelphia Museum and School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts). In 1953, she married fellow artist John Haigaard in Abilene, TX. She and John worked as artists in Philadelphia and had two children, before divorcing in 1960. Callie then moved to Houston, where she taught kindergarten at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School.

In 1961, she married Robert G. Robertson III in Houston, where she lived the remainder of her life. She and Bob had 2019 / 2020

one child together. They owned a fishing cabin at the Palisades Retreat Club in Gunnison, CO, where Bob loved to fish and Callie loved to paint scenes from the area.

Callie was deeply involved in politics and at one time served as Vice Chair of the Republican Party in Harris County. She loved to teach art and for many years ran an interior design business, Callie Designs, decorating homes in Houston, Austin, and Colorado. Callie is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

JANE WHITE WILCOX ’49 passed away on May 19, 2019, at the age of 87. She was raised in Winchester and Lowell, MA, and attended Pine Manor Junior College and the Tobé-Coburn School for Fashion Careers. Jane and her husband, David, settled in West Hartford, CT, where they raised their daughters. After retirement, they moved to Needham, MA. Jane will be remembered for her talent as an interior decorator, nationally recognized gardener, and advocate for improving urban parks and gardens.

She was a member of the Connecticut State Golf team and a valued volunteer at Miss Porter’s School, Trinity College, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and Hartford Hospital. In addition to her husband, Jane is survived by three children, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

JOAN MONDINO RISTUCCIA ’50 passed away on January 2, 2020, at the age of 87. She was born in Watertown, MA, and raised in nearby Wellesley. Joan attended Wheaton College and Framingham State College, where she earned her teaching certificate in early elementary education, later teaching in Fort Lewis, WA, and Framingham, MA. She enjoyed gardening and spending time outdoors, and had a grand passion for reading. Joan is survived by her beloved husband of 65 years, John B. Ristuccia, in addition to two children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

JOYCE BRIER GALKIN ’51 passed away on June 7, 2019, at the age of 86. She was born in Providence, RI, and attended Hope High School before transferring to Walnut Hill. Joyce graduated from Skidmore College in 1955 before settling in Newton, MA, where she raised her family, later moving to Warwick, RI. Joyce was known for her infectious smile, consistently cheery nature, sweetness, kindness, and generosity.

She loved hosting and spending time with family and friends and enjoyed music, gardening, taking family trips, and traveling extensively in Europe and Asia. Joyce and her husband, Warren, were generous donors to many charitable causes.

She is survived by her husband, two children,

and two grandchildren, in addition to other loving family members.

JUDY KALLOCH RACELY ’51 passed away in June 2019, at the age of 86. She studied at Tufts University and the University of Southern California, and was retired from her career as an occupational therapist, having worked with Child Development Associates in Menlo Park, CA. Judy married Edward Racely, who predeceased her. She was a former member of Walnut Hill’s Board of Overseers and Board of Visitors. Judy is survived by her two children, in addition to many other family members and dear friends.

SALLY TIEBOUT SUMNER ’52 passed away on September 10, 2019, at the age of 85. She was born in Bridgeport, CT, and grew up in Connecticut and New York. Sally had fond memories of summers on Cape Cod, where she sailed at Stone Horse Yacht Club in Harwich Port, skippering her own boat in the club’s racing series. After graduating from Smith College, Sally lived in Manhattan and worked as an analyst at Standard Oil. She moved to Windham Center, CT, after marrying Jackson Sumner, and it was there that they raised two children. During this time, she was an active volunteer with the Girl Scouts, Windham Community Memorial Hospital, and Windham Center School, in addition to serving as a librarian Behind Stowe | 43

for the Windham Free Library. Throughout her life, Sally always found joy in traveling, and in her retirement, she traveled to Germany, Holland, and Norway. While at home, she enjoyed working in her many gardens, which were always in pristine condition; loved reading; and played bridge with the same group for nearly 30 years. Sally is survived by one sister, two children, four grandchildren, and several nephews and nieces.

ELLEN BROOKS BALDWIN ’54 passed away on July 2, 2019, at the age of 83. She graduated from Wellesley College, and later earned her doctorate in English literature from New York University. Ellen taught at Rosemary Hall School in Greenwich, CT, and at the College of Aeronautics in Queens, NY. She married John Baldwin in 1975 and they had two sons together.

John died in a private airplane accident in 2001. While in residence on Capitol Island, ME, Ellen was a sailor and an avid tennis player, and an active supporter of and participant at the Boothbay Region YMCA. She traveled extensively with her mother, and later with her close friend, the late Charles Fassett. Yet Ellen was at heart a New York City girl, and she remained an avid reader of her beloved New York Times.

Her persistent directness and frank questions made those she loved reflect on life’s realities. Ellen is 44 | Behind Stowe

survived by four siblings (including Barbara Brooks Benson ’67), two children, and three grandchildren.

ELLEN VAN ALSTYNE STARRATT ’55 passed away on May 22, 2019, at the age of 81, after a valiant battle with cancer. She was born in Englewood, NJ, and attended local schools before heading to Walnut Hill and then Vassar College. Before getting married, Ellen held a variety of jobs in New York, including an administrative position at publisher Condé Nast.

She married Dick Starratt in 1959, and their sons were born while Dick was still in the Navy on board the USS Shangri-La, a large aircraft carrier stationed in San Diego.

After he was discharged, they moved back to Englewood, where they had their third child.

Ellen got her real estate license in the early 1980s after moving to Florida, and began a successful career as a residential agent. She also worked in retail, selling designer clothes. Upon moving to Laguna Niguel, CA, Ellen took up painting and sold greeting cards based on her oil paintings, while playing on multiple tennis teams and working for a local hospice provider. At her senior community, she ran many committees upon which the community depended, culminating in her election to President of the Board in 2015. True to form, she successfully served her term as President while battling cancer.

She volunteered for worthwhile organizations throughout her life, was an avid amateur actor and singer, and traveled extensively, even getting the opportunity to meet Winston Churchill. One enduring constant in her life was Point O’ Woods on Fire Island. Upon her mother’s death, Ellen took over as manager of the family home, making it a wonderful haven for family and myriad renters. She will be remembered as a powerhouse with a heart of gold. Ellen is survived by her husband of 60 years, one sister, three children, nine grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

restoring her historic home, and spending time out on Hood’s Pond; and was passionate about her 1957 white Thunderbird convertible.

She loved to sing in the car, around the house, in her garden, and with her dear Newburyport Choral Society friends.

In 2013 and 2014, Beth made enormous sacrifices and endured immeasurable grief to be caretaker and confidante for her daughter, Courtney L. Rogers, as Courtney fought her own fatal disease.

Beth is survived by two sisters, two children, two grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, whom she all adored.

ELIZABETH “BETH” RICHARDSON ROGERS ’64 passed away on February 19, 2020, at the age of 73, after a sudden but courageous fight with a rare autoimmune disease known as Goodpasture syndrome.

While she lost her battle with the disease, at no time did she lose any of the grace, strength, wit, and selflessness that were her trademarks throughout her life. Beth was raised in Ipswich, MA, and graduated from Mount Holyoke College.

She was a certified financial planner who served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, always incredibly generous with her time, energy, and insight. Beth enjoyed Red Sox and Patriots victories, long walks, family gatherings, tennis, and car shopping; found joy in updating and

CYNTHIA “CINDY” WATKINS MELENDY ’68 passed away on April 17, 2020, at the age of 69. She was born in Boston, and her childhood was filled with music, poetry, and adventures with her family at their summer home in New Hampshire. There began her lifetime dedication to the environment. Cindy attended the University of Pennsylvania before receiving her B.A. in American literature from the University of Massachusetts Boston, graduating magna cum laude. She moved to Maine, where she met and married James Richardson, with whom she shared a passion for gardening, birding, hiking, beekeeping, and raising springer spaniels.

Cindy worked for the Maine Audubon Society, combining her love of the environment with www.walnuthillarts.org

IN MEMORIAM her skill and knowledge in philanthropy and development. She received her Master Gardener Certification and passed her knowledge on to many budding gardeners.

Cindy’s son, Stewart, was born in 1987. She went on to receive her M.A. in American and New England studies from the University of Southern Maine, then moved to Orono, ME, where she received her Ph.D. in history, with honors. Cindy moved to Florida and then to Texas, serving as a visiting assistant professor at the University of South Florida and at Texas Tech University. Homesick for New England and family, she returned to New Hampshire, bought an old farmhouse, and continued teaching at Framingham State University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Her awards, fellowships, and writings are too numerous to list here. Upon retiring from teaching, Cindy continued her writing with a monthly series on the history of art in the Mount Washington Valley. Sadly, she suffered a stroke in 2016, which resulted in a permanent move to the Marshwood Rehabilitation Center in Lewiston, ME. In addition to her son, Cindy is survived by three siblings, two grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and her beloved dog.

2019 / 2020

LAURIE ZEISER ’73 passed away on September 16, 2019, at the age of 64. She was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Wellesley, MA. Laurie attended Colby Junior College before entering a long career in education, first at Sandoe & Associates in Boston, then at the White Mountain School in Littleton, NH, and later at the Profile School in Bethlehem, NH. Laurie was a beautiful person who genuinely lived life to the fullest. Her exuberance and kindness filled everyone’s heart with immeasurable joy; she loved to laugh and she loved to make others laugh. A talented craftswoman, Laurie was also an avid skier, tennis player, and contributor at the Littleton Senior Center.

Most important, she was a devoted mother to her two children. Laurie is survived by them, along with her husband, Bentley Brooks Ford, and three siblings.

MARTHA REED MANNING ’75 passed away on December 20, 2019, at the age of 62.

Born in Boston, she went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Lesley College. A devoted wife, mother, sister, and friend, Martha will be sorely missed by all who were blessed to have known her. In addition to her husband, Michael, she is survived by two siblings, two children, and many loving nieces and nephews.

ELIZABETH MCLEAN DUBOIS ’84 passed away on June 16, 2019, at the age of 53, from surgical complications.

She donned her first pair of ice skates at the MDC rink in West Roxbury, MA, at age 5, after watching the Winter Olympics television coverage and deciding, “This is what I want to do.” Back in the 1980s and 1990s, she was a member of the US Figure Skating Team and competed as an ice dancer all over the world. In 1992, she was selected as an alternate to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics at Albertville, France. Elizabeth graduated from Boston College and began her coaching career at the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society.

She took great joy in her students’ progress and success. She traveled to the British Virgin Islands to learn to sail; fell in love with Mark Dubois, her sailing instructor, and married him; and made Brewers Bay, Tortola, her home. She participated in a number of sailing races in the BVI, including the Rolex Cup. In the beginning, she was employed as a massage therapist at the Peter Island Resort & Spa, but shortly thereafter opened her own private practice called Healing Hands in Road Town, Tortola. Local doctors referred many patients to her because of her skill as a masseuse in the treatment of their ailments. She lived with vitality and passion and had the ability to light up any room she entered.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband, parents, four brothers, one goddaughter, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, and aunts.

FARIN LOEB ’02 passed away on July 4, 2019, at the age of 35. She studied voice at Manhattan School of Music, enjoying many performance opportunities during her years there. She then received her M.F.A. in voice at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro before moving to Philadelphia.

Farin eventually moved back to New York City, where she worked as a stage director, dramaturg, stage manager, and dramatic coach for singers. She is survived by many loving family members and friends.

JORGE PÉREZ DE ACHA ’11 passed away on June 23, 2019, at the age of 27. After Walnut Hill, he attended the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico, studying computer engineering. Jorge then moved to Cambridge, MA, and worked for the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as an associate computational biologist, developing computational methods to diagnose rare diseases.

He is survived and dearly missed by his family and friends. ◆

Behind Stowe | 45

Congratulations to the Class of 2020

W

alnut Hill’s 126th graduating class had a week of senior events and a graduation like no other. Forced to move to a virtual platform, seniors celebrated long-held traditions of Tree Day, Candlelight, and Graduation all online.

And while nothing can take the place of an In Real Life community gathering, the virtual ceremonies turned out to be special in a completely different and touching way. Faculty and Staff gathered on the Hill for a socially distanced Candlelight that seniors experienced with their families in their own homes, alumni the world over sent messages of congratulations via video, and student Graduation speaker Bryn Taylor delivered her speech from her kitchen. Enjoy a small excerpt of her speech: Before Walnut Hill, I’d always felt as if art and its influence on society had taken a backseat. Now, after watching my beautiful Class of 2020 grow, create, and at times fail, I know art will shape the world now more than ever. We have always been a class to be reckoned with—we’ve always wanted

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to shake things up, start a riot, and make waves.

I’ve always known we would change the world, but now we have no choice. A couple weeks ago, Mr. Viva said that the Class of 2020 should not let these odd and unfortunate circumstances define us as a grade. . . . But we are the “Covid Class of 2020,” whether we like it or not. We can’t change history, but we can use what we’ve learned not only through this experience, but also through our arts education, to truly make a mark on the world. To my Class of 2020: What does this mean to you?

Maybe painting a mural somewhere in your town to thank healthcare workers for their sacrifices. Or maybe you’re the next documentarian to interview those who had their senior year drastically affected by the repercussions of Corona. Maybe not. But what I do know: the Class of 2020 is one resilient group of artists, and the one thing we won’t ever be is forgotten. We were born to make a mark on this world, and this community has given us the tools and the skills to do just that. ◆

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COMMUNITY AWARD WINNERS Taylor Wang '20 Arnold C. Taylor Award for Academic and Artistic Achievement Ameir Taylor '21 Catherine T. Chan Award Katherine Herlihy '20 Friendship Award Mia Swann '20 Hester R. Davies Citizenship Award Imogen Morehouse '20 Joanna Rappaport '96 Award 4 6 | Behind Stowe

www.walnuthillarts.org

G R A D U AT I O N

Fond Farewells After 22 years, Michael Owen is retiring as Walnut Hill’s Director of Dance. As a young artist, Mr. Owen studied with Marcia Dale Weary at the Pennsylvania Ballet School and continued his studies at The School of American Ballet. He is a former principal danseur 6

of American Ballet Theatre, where he had a distinguished 26-year career. Owen has made guest appearances with companies across the globe, has appeared in television and film, and performed for every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton. As Director of Dance at Walnut Hill, Mr. Owen has meticulously moved the department into the forefront in excellence of training. We are tremendously grateful for his unwavering commitment to our students and our School. And, although he is stepping down from his long-held role, we are happy to say he will still be involved on the Hill, lending his expertise to the Community Dance Academy and also working with the Alumni Office.

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Diane 1: Student Graduation speaker Bryn Taylor ’20 2: Caterina Fanale ’20 with family and furry friend 3: Head of School Antonio Viva delivered his address to the graduates from The Head's House 4: Ryan Honey ’20 5: Dean of

Arvanites

Students Melissa Cassel, Visual Art Faculty Eileen De Rosas, Technology Integration Specialist and Stowe Dorm Parent Amelia Iverson Gregoire, and Director of Community Programs and Freshman Class Dean Zach Roberson at the social distance Candlelight video taping 6: Savannah Riggs ’20 and family 7: Shijia “Libby” Liu ’20 8: Kate Herlihy ’20

leaving Walnut

will also be Hill at the end of this school year. Arvanites arrived at Walnut Hill in 1990, and in addition to her dynamic work as choreographer and teacher at our School, and as a member of the dance faculty at Boston Conservatory, she has had an impressive track record as a choreographer, teacher, and Co– Artistic Director of Prometheus Dance, an award-winning dance/theater company that she co-created with Tommy Neblett in 1987. Arvanites's inspirational choreography has been performed nationally and internationally, in both Europe and South America. She will be deeply missed, and we wish her well in her next adventure. ◆

2019 / 2020

Behind Stowe | 47

NEW BEGINNINGS

Class of 2020 Acceptance and Matriculation Academy of the Art University AMDA American University American University of Paris Arizona State University Bard College Belmont University Bennington College Berklee College of Music Boston College Boston Conservatory at Berklee Boston University Brandeis University Brunei University London Bryant University Butler University California Institute of the Arts Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Clark University Cleveland Institute of Music Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston Columbia College Chicago Connecticut College Cornell University DePauw University Dominican University Eastman School of Music Elon University Emerson College Fairfield University Florida State University Fordham University George Mason University George Washington University Hofstra University Indiana University 4 8 | Behind Stowe

Ithaca College James Madison University John Cabot University Johnson & Wales University The Juilliard School Kenyon College Laguna College of Art and Design Lawrence University Lesley University Lewis and Clark University London College of Communication London Metropolitan University Macalester College Maine College of Art Manhattan School of Music Mannes (The New School) Maryland Institute College of Art Marymount Manhattan College Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Molloy College Mount Holyoke College Muhlenberg College New England Conservatory The New School of Drama The New School of Jazz New York Film Academy New York University Northern Essex Community College Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Ontario College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design Pace University Peabody Institute Parsons (The New School) Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Pennsylvania State University Point Park University Pratt Institute Queen Mary University of London Quinnipiac University Reed College Rhode Island School of Design Rider University Roosevelt University Rowan University Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Sacred Heart University Salve Regina University San Francisco Conservatory of Music Santa Monica College Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of the Museum of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts Skidmore College Southern Methodist University Southern New Hampshire University St. Olaf College Suffolk University SUNY Purchase Syracuse University

Texas State University Tufts University University of Arizona University of Cincinnati University of Connecticut University of Hartford University of Houston University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Missouri Kansas City University of New Hampshire University of North Texas University of Oklahoma University of Puget Sound University of Rhode Island University of Southern California University of St. Andrews University of Tampa University of the Arts University of the Arts London University of Texas at Austin University of Utah University of Vermont University of Victoria University of Virginia Vassar College Virginia Commonwealth University Wagner College Wesleyan University Whittier College Worcester State University

www.walnuthillarts.org

SHARE JOY DO GOOD NON NOBIS SOLUM

THIS has not been the year that we expected. We've missed big events on campus like our spring traditions and performances, and everyday pleasures like our students hanging out on the field.

We know the field will once again be lively, music will play out from the practice rooms and studios, and laughter will fill the halls.

With your help, we will return even stronger.

A gift to the Annual Fund supports Walnut Hill's greatest needs.

Mural by Hannah Kremin '12

giving.walnuthillart .org

NonProfit Org. U.S. Postage Paid N. Reading, MA Permit #211

12 Highland Street Natick, Massachusetts 01760

TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM: @WALNUTHILLARTS | WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WALNUTHILL | WWW.WALNUTHILLARTS.ORG | 508.653.4312