2 minute read
Art from the Heart
Students express a pandemic’s worth of emotion in the studio
As Upper School art teacher Marnie McLaughlin pours over a Foundation of Art student’s sketchbook, she says it tells the story of the pandemic. In the book, you’ll find observational drawings of the contents of the student’s bag (mask, phone, and hand sanitizer), self-portraits wearing masks, contour line drawings of houseplants and the interiors of her room, and illustrations about resilience. Despite changes to classroom layouts and some students joining class remotely, McLaughlin noted, “It is clear that our students value the intrinsic joy of expressing themselves through art in these challenging times.”
In the Middle School, art teacher Annette Grueterich found that COVID distancing rules give her students more physical and mental space to work independently. She also shortened her lessons so students could move through projects at their own pace, whether in the classroom or remotely. She plans to incorporate these lessons with more project choices in her curriculum again next year. Similarly, Upper School teacher Paula Westcott plans to carry over her students’ Padlet portfolios into next year’s classes even if everyone is back in the same room.
The department has seen at every level, from Barat Center to Upper School, how students have used art to express their isolation, grief, and anxiety, as well as hope, joy, and triumphs over the past year. Westcott shared, “A student told me how much she is enjoying watercolor painting and how restful it makes her feel. Students are fortunate to have this outlet, and I hope that they continue to paint and create art always.”
(Opposite top) Lower School Self Portraits with paper scraps; (Opposite bottom) Portraits: Foundations of Art student portraits of children in Afghanistan based on photos from The Memory Project
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Artwork covers the walls
of Sacred Heart, even this year. Take a look at some of the work you’d see if we could welcome you to campus today.
1. Sydney O’Connor ’21 2. Meghan McGrath ’25 3. Xan Collins ’27 4. Vivian Monopoli ’25 5. Valentina Cepeda ’33 6. Giules Amodeo ’28 7. Caitlin Buford ’27 8. Annie Berkery ’33 9. Annie Hughes ’25 10. Jocelyn Epperson ’29 11. Angelina Clear ’28 12. Avery Kim ’24 13. Heidi McGannon ’22
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