Upper School Art Show: Celebrating Creativity from the Fall Semester

Nicole Winters, Rivers’ visual arts teacher and gallery coordinator, expressed excitement about the exhibition and emphasized the importance of students having the chance to appreciate the work of their peers. “It's always so exciting to see the students’ work, and it's excellent to see students marvel at the artwork created by their peers,” she said. At the show's entrance, the concept of “Artful Thinking” encourages viewers to consider various questions and viewpoints when encountering a work of art—to acknowledge seeing, viewing, and wondering. “Beyond art just being ‘good’ or ‘realistic’ or ‘expertly crafted,’ students tend to notice the deeper subject of a student's art, which oftentimes leads to a new understanding of the artist who created it,” said Winters. 

The Upper School art faculty plays a significant role in shaping the artistic journey of each student. The well-developed curriculum covers a wide range of themes and topics that drive artmaking in each course, allowing students to apply complex skills with conceptual ideas. Winters described how students study and incorporate an art theme into their work. “Students will look at a particular theme and study several artists whose work relates to this theme. Then, after learning the fundamentals of the medium, their final project involves taking the skills they've learned and applying them to create a work of thought-provoking art.”

In Jeff Nisbet’s Mindfulness in Drawing course, Kayla Thugi ’25 created a piece inspired by her study of abstract drawings by Barbara Hepworth and Louise Bourgeois, along with the Japanese Zen Buddhist concept of koan (a paradoxical question, statement, or story to help students break free of ordinary thought,) and the process of creating abstract art through visual dichotomies. Her abstract drawing highlights a rotting wooden stump she encountered on a class nature walk to draw inspiration from the natural world. “It captivated me,” she said. “Its details and patterns evoked a sense of elegance.” Reflecting on the visual elements within her work, Thugi described the concept of relativity as a consistent theme during art class. “My message through the dynamic and contrasting styles and colors was to show that, when focused on the collective, the viewer is subconsciously drawn to the brightest mark in the piece,” she said. “However, when the viewer begins to digest the piece slowly and intimately by focusing on the independent sections, they can appreciate the individual beauty by focusing on the independent sections.”  

Nolan Carlstrom ’26 created a whimsical goldfish-shaped ceramic teapot in Gretchen Nash’s Intermediate Ceramics class. “The flowing curves mimic the graceful movements of a fish, while its vibrant glaze adds a splash of color to any tea time,” said Carlstrom, adding that the unique statement piece “brings a touch of imagination to the table.” 

The Upper School art show allows Rivers student artists to share their creativity and craft with the community. It enhances the school’s commitment to artistic endeavors, including the visual arts faculty show every fall and the Rivers School Visiting Artist Program, which brings nationally and internationally recognized artists to campus. Noting the depth of thought and personal meaning that resonates in the chosen pieces, Winters marveled at the artistry and originality of the students’ work. “Our students strive to create artwork that resonates with them on a personal level–whether that be a self-portrait, an image of a place in the world that is meaningful to them, a photograph of a loved one, a ceramics piece used for a specific cultural ceremony, or maybe even a small sculpture that they would love to have in their future home.”