Visual Art Students Visit
MASS MoCA and The Clark
On Friday, April 19, Visual Art students embarked on a field trip to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (North Adams, MA) and The Clark Institute (Williamstown, MA). The trip offered a dynamic immersion into contrasting yet complementary artistic realms. At MASS MoCA, a sprawling industrial complex-turned-gallery space, students were enveloped in avant-garde installations and experimental exhibitions, fostering an exploration of contemporary art's limitless possibilities. Monumental sculptures to immersive multimedia installations, each corner invited inquiry and interpretation.
Transitioning to the Clark Institute was like stepping into a different time and place. The refined elegance of the museum's galleries provided the perfect setting for experiencing classical and impressionist masterpieces. Students were captivated by the works of Renoir, Monet, Sargent, and other renowned artists, each painting inviting contemplation and appreciation of its timeless beauty.
Through this juxtaposition, students gained a deeper understanding of the rich tapestry of human creativity and the ways in which art can inspire, challenge, and transform us.
Rogers and Hammerstein’s iconic first musical will be presented by the talented students in the Hopkins Drama Association at the Woodbridge Club this weekend. This show is a limited engagement, and tickets are selling out fast! Yeow!!
HDA Presents “Oklahoma!”
Design Engineering Students Visit Yale’s Center for Ecosystems and Architecture
On January 25th, our Design Engineering students had an amazing learning experience at the Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture. They explored cutting-edge projects where plants, animals, and the environment come together to revolutionize urban design. At the CEA, interdisciplinary teams of architects, environmentalists, and engineers are reimagining our cities - integrating energy, water, and built infrastructures with the beauty of natural ecosystems. The insights gained here will lay the groundwork for their semester-long projects. Our students are now charged with the exciting task of crafting designs that elegantly merge the realms of art and science.
Diversity Board and Black and Latinx Student Union Host Local Black Artists
DivBo and BLSU's "African Americans and the Arts" opened on January 23rd to kick off Black History Month at Hopkins. This amazing and dynamic show features work by Hopkins Students, as well as 6 local Black artists:
Kwadwo Adae, Moshopefoluwa "Mo" Olagunj, Jasmine Nikole, Faustin Adeniran, Christina "Chris" Jones, and Marquis Brantley
DIVBO and the BLSU also hosted an artist reception on Tuesday (1/30) from 6-7 pm to commemorate these artists and their work. Participants were able to chat with other students, the artists, and learn more about their backgrounds and creative journeys.
This gallery closed on Wednesday, 1/31, kicking off the start of Black History Month.
Jazz Band Performs in Assembly
The Hopkins Jazz Band helped conclude National Hispanic Heritage Month with a lively performance in our morning assembly on Friday, October 27th. Please enjoy this short clip of Chuck Mangione’s “Children of Sanchez.”
Woodworking - Fall 2023
Term 1 Woodworking students created Isamu Noguchi -inspired lamps, and exhibited them in Keator Gallery from November 13 to December 1. An article about the exhibition was featured in The Hilltopper (vol. 23).
Woodworking students wrote the following statement about the exhibition:
“Illuminated Perspectives: Exploring Noguchi’s Akari Light Sculptures
Isamu Noguchi was an American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. In our Term 1 Woodworking class, we reimagined one of his most prominent light sculptures called the Akari Lamp. Akari lamps are complex forms made out of wood and wrapped in washi paper. Noguchi produced his lamps after being inspired by the lanterns Japanese fisherman used in the night. Akari Lamps are characterized by “weightless luminosity”. Isamu Noguchi chose the word “akari”, because it means light in Japanese.
Over the last couple months, students have worked tirelessly to produce their own Akari-inspired lamps. Our lamps were made by creating a frame made from cherry, and then wrapping washi paper around it. We faced difficulties with delicate washi paper, complex angles, and measuring to the correct length. We surpassed these challenges with precision measuring, trial and error, and fresh starts. Throughout this process, we learned how to use a variety of tools, including the bandsaw, chop saw, pull saw, disc sander, and more. This project taught us the importance of collaborating to solve common problems.”
7th Graders Perform for JSchool Assembly.
On Tuesday, October 24th, Mr. Elligers led the 7th Grade Instrumental Music class in a performance of two Halloween pieces at the morning Junior School Assembly. To a packed Thompson Hall, our youngest musicians performed “The Abandoned Funhouse” and “Gargoyles” to roaring applause! Our 7th-grade musicians, actors, and artists will wind up their current quarter of arts this week and move on to other creative adventures in their next arts rotation.
The Hopkins Drama Association Presents
OUR TOWN
The Woodbridge Club, 10 Milhaven Road, Woodbridge, 06525
Pizza and soda will be available for purchase prior to the show.
Tickets will be on sale during Hopkins lunch beginning Monday, October 16
National Jazz Festival 2023
On Saturday, April 22nd, the Hopkins Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, and Jazz Choir traveled to Philadelphia to compete at the national level with schools from all across the United States. The City of Brotherly Love was filled with young musicians, eager to play and cheer for each other. Our students, led by Erik Elligers and Erika Schroth, did extraordinarily well in the competition with Hopkins bringing home the 1st place trophy for Vocal Jazz A Capella as well as two Outstanding Soloist awards for Demi ‘23 and an Outstanding Vocalist award for Will ‘23. Congratulations to all of our fine musicians on their accomplishments!
Erik Elligers
Erika Schroth
Photography Show
Thompson Basement Gallery
Students were tasked to closely analyze an existing image created by an accomplished photographer (or other artist) in order to formulate a series of unique work. This process served to support the impression that artists inspire other artists, and an artwork is often the product of both external and internal influences. Learning to see within and without.
Jon Nast
A sampling of the collection….
Whirlygigs
Whirlygigs
On Thursday, January 26th, Mr. Sayler’s Wood Art 8 students showed their latest creations on the quad and left us smiling!
Using elements of design, physics, and fun, our 8th graders created lawn whirlygigs based on a design of their choice. The sky was the limit, and we had ducks, bees, bananas, zombies, ketchup bottles, you name it. To create their whirlygigs, students first drew their designs and planned the “wings” and how they were going to move around the main element. They learned how to safely use cutting and shaping tools to realize their design and painted them to their own liking. The project was a lot of fun, and I hope they enjoyed seeing their whirlygig out and about on campus, if only for one beautifully windy day on the hill!
R.C. Sayler