Rubell-Inspired Journeys Into Identity

In early December, students from the High School Studio Arts Advanced and UL Master Classes, including Avery Fragale ’28, Susie Gerety ’28, Theo Hauser ’28, Joey Hilzenrath ’27, Rachel Lee ’26, Amirah Mack ’28, Lia Oremland ’26, Maya Tyson ’27, Nadia Bandy ’27, Rowan Magnell ’27, Saida Debgupta ’28, and Claire Poellnitz ’27, made a special field trip to the Rubell Art Museum as part of their preparation for the Identity Art project.

Now in its ninth year, the project is a major component of the Studio Arts curriculum, and aligns with the GDS ideals of honoring identity and encouraging students to be their authentic selves. Based on eight identifiers, including culture, race, family, socio-economics, sexuality, gender, ability, and mental health, the Identity Project encourages students to reflect on these core aspects of self, explore them deeply, and express them creatively. In addition, students are encouraged to ask their families questions about their heritage and the meaning of their names.

In preparation, students spend much of the first half of the school year developing foundational skills to ensure they have the technical ability and knowledge of various mediums needed to express their chosen concepts. They also work on specific assignments, including an expressive self portrait and a collage, two elements that help them prepare for the show.

Students then have 12 in-class days to work on their projects and are expected to work outside of class during January in preparation for a show in February in which their final works will be showcased. “The goal of the visit to the Rubell Museum was to start them thinking about ideas for concepts and to explore different mediums for the project,” said Studio Arts teacher Mark Giaimo of the trip.

A DC contemporary art museum that opened in 2022, the Rubell is housed in the stunning historic (1906) former Randall Junior High School, with works based on the private collection of the Rubell family, who invite viewers to consider the role of artists as teachers. Its current exhibitions showcase artworks using a large variety of mediums, including repurposed common objects, to explore concepts such as community and the relationships among identity, ancestry, and place, while providing insights on current pressing social issues.

The museum’s works prompted rich critique and discussion among the students, while introducing them to new artistic approaches that will help shape their ideas for the Identity Project in the months ahead. 

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