Spirit of Creativity — Alive and Well at Arts Festival!

By Julie Fisher, Digital Arts Instructor and Festival Organizer

The Foxcroft community gathered last Saturday for our second annual Festival of the Arts, and the spirit of creativity never felt so alive.  
 
Everyone was engaged in some form of art making. The Art Room was busy with participants crafting ceramic plates or throwing bowls on the pottery wheels, and baking shrink film to miniaturize their drawings into charms. In the adjacent lounge, individuals worked collaboratively on generating imaginative, and sometimes hysterical, sketches. 
Down in The Innovation Lab (aka TIL@FXC), students working with Niblack Arts Series guest Mo Regulinski used recyclables and items collected from nature to create wearable art; exposed giant fabric cyanotypes (and learned a little chemistry in the process) with Ms. Bowser and Dr. Tuttle; and worked in Photoshop to create double exposure effects on images under the tutelage of advanced photography students. Across the hall, in TIL@FXC technology room, they made custom rings with the laser cutter and used green screen technology to take photos of themselves in virtually any place in the world and famous works of art.

Students in the Dining Hall painted a mural on the wall of the staff dining and break room, and in Currier Library girls created designs using only computer code and made a joyful noise (music) as they explored the guitar, piano, and other stringed instruments with Mr. and Ms. Asbury, and guitar teacher and Foxcroft graduate Emily Cooley ’15.

In addition to making art, there were plentiful opportunities to enjoy the work of others. A wide range of impressive exhibits that celebrated student, faculty, and staff artists alike filled Schoolhouse. Seniors Grace C., Roxy C., Khaki K., Nicole M-C., and Sylvia Y. had one-woman shows while various ceramics, photo, and studio art classes had group displays.

With all these opportunities to make and appreciate art, everyone walked away from Foxcroft’s Festival of the Arts 2019 with a renewed appreciation for all that it means to create.

Here are some student reflections on the weekend:
 
From Teagan — Pottery Wheel Station Meister for the Day

For some reason, I'm better at wheel throwing with an audience. Arts Weekend was very exciting. Around 8:30, I texted my advisor to let me into Schoolhouse and I set up my wheel-throwing station. At 9:00, traffic in schoolhouse was strangely low, but it picked up quickly when students were encouraged to participate. Soon, I was pausing to grab another wheel from the ceramics room because wheel throwing was so fascinating to people who had the chance to try it.  

It was my idea to put the wheels in the front of the Art Room because I thought my station would get more attention there (last year, we were outside in the courtyard behind the building) , and I certainly was right. After the Festival, I was grateful to have cleanup help from everyone who stuck around my station all day. I'm looking forward to putting everyone's pots in the kiln! 
 
From Marlow B. ’22 — Healing Avatar Model and Wearable Art Maker

Ms. Regulinski visited our school starting on Friday when she presented a fashion show with pieces from her om her Healing Avatar collection. These included outfits featuring  food, exercise, and needles {check this with Terry}. Her collections have sentimental value and tell a story because they are based on her experience of having diabetes since she was a little girl.
 
I was honored to be one of the three models for the fashion show. I wore the exercise outfit that was made out of tires, which I thought was really unique. The experience made me think of wearable art in a different perspective. Wearable art is a way to express yourself and send a message to the audience that you are reaching for. I also have to say that my outfit was extremely comfortable to wear.
 
On Saturday, Ms. Regulinski instructed morning and afternoon workshops where we were able to create our own wearable art. She worked with each session to design and then create either a shirt or a skirt based on traditional silhouettes and the theme of "Unexpected Nature." During these sessions,  students put their ideas on paper and then onto a model while saving the environment by using leftover materials such as cardboard, bubble wrap, packing foam, etc.
 
First we individually created our own designs and then we came together and decided which parts of each design we liked. We then made a collective design that we would then put together on the model. It turned out pretty well and was fun to do.

Thank you, Ms. Regulinski, for allowing us to expand our knowledge of your life and the fashion industry.
 
 
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, VA 20117  |  Phone: 540.687.5555