The Spring Upper School Art Exhibition highlights a collection of student artwork in the Rubenstein Art Gallery, located in the Arts Center. The show will be on display until the end of the school year, and a reception celebrating the achievements of student artists was held by the Parents Association on May 19.

The art show features different types of media, including paintings, drawings, digital and film photographs, sculptures and digital art. In addition, there will be a collaborative student art installation on display presented by Upper School Ceramics Teacher Caroline Battle and Upper School Photography Teacher Lely Constantinople.

The artwork highlights Sidwell’s strong Visual Arts programs and the myriad of techniques, styles and forms of media that students in different art classes learn to use. This year, the show is focusing on a salon-style installation that combines pieces and techniques from all of the Visual Arts classes.

Constantinople explained that her favorite aspect of this year’s show is the “interdisciplinary work” of cyanotype and ceramic tiles presented in the show. Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue color. Some ceramic classes collaborated with photography classes to use cyanotype on ceramic pieces.

“I really enjoy seeing the energy that student shows bring to the gallery space,” said Middle School Art Teacher Aaron Brophy.

“My favorite aspect of the Upper School show is the collaboration between students, teachers, and colleagues,” Brophy continued. “Watching the gallery fill up with student artwork from floor to ceiling is a testament to the talent and productivity of our art students.”

Brophy added that he wanted to bring awareness to the amount of time and effort it takes to present student artwork in the gallery, describing how the installation work usually happens between classes, after school and on weekends.

“This physical labor often goes unseen by the wider community, but behind the scenes we understand the process of hanging copious amounts of artwork and filling hundreds of feet of wall space,” he said. Brophy also mentioned that the gallery is a more formal space to present artwork, allowing for greater public visibility in order to celebrate the accomplishments of students.

“At its best, the gallery becomes an organic extension of the art classrooms and the art curriculum,” Brophy said.

Freshman Caroline Mohamadi expressed her feelings about the show, saying, “I really like walking by all the photos and drawings on the wall because I like to see the creativity of my peers.” Mohamadi enjoys seeing the final products of her classmates’ art pieces and seeing the work her friends in other classes do.

The show features a project Mohamadi created for her ceramics class. For the piece, she soiled a vase with clay and attached molds of sunglasses and nail polish. Mohamadi stated that she was able to strengthen her coiling skills and was proud of the final product.

Brophy mentioned he is glad the show provides a space to share the talent and creativity of student visual artists with the greater Sidwell community.