Simply Amazing!

Welcome to the Middle School Art Show!

On May 9, GDS welcomed guests into the first Middle School art show and reception that the School has hosted on Davenport Street.

The gallery was a tremendous success and a visual delight to all who attended. The next morning, Middle School Principal Debby Previna wrote to the faculty and staff to applaud the work of our Lower/Middle School art teachers—Ashely Ortiz, Jenn Heffernan, and John Headley—and their efforts to showcase the simply amazing art of the students in their care. She wrote:

There is a difference between looking and seeing. Looking is a visual exercise; seeing is an exercise in empathy. Seeing brings us closer to our own humanity and to each other.  Please join us in thanking Ashley, Jenn, and John for teaching our students to SEE while honing their skills, affirming their confidence as artists, and creating a venue for our students to showcase their artistry. The extraordinary pieces that now adorn our B1 level remind us that in spite of all, (COVID, stress, setbacks, grief), art has and will continue to keep us anchored, sane, and whole. Thank you, Ashley, Jenn, and John, for your display of pedagogical love. It's been 24 hours, and we still feel the glow of last night's magnificent event.

The gallery featured portraits of 1st graders by 8th grade artists, spherical-perspective painted disco balls, yarn painting, and mixed media animal collages. There were landscape paintings, prints of peace messages in Arabic, and 7th grade imaginary creature sculptures. The show represents a huge body of work from Middle School artists over the course of several months. Well done, all!

The gallery will remain on display until the end of the school year.