While torrential rain roared outside on the night of Wednesday, April 30, Harriton’s impassive wooden ram statue stood above a crowd much different from the usual. These were not chattering pupils seizing the last few minutes of freedom before the 7:25 bell, but guests at an annual all-Harriton art show viewing the best works of the school’s creative geniuses. These pieces came from students of all grades in every hands-on art class Harriton offers: Film/Photo, Computer Animation, Metal Arts, Ceramics, IB Visual Arts, Multi-Media Art, Art Studio and Art Honors. The event’s placement right before the instrumental music concert at 7:30 highlighted Harriton’s commitment to all the arts.

Positioned around the lobby were the senior panels, on which senior artists selected and arranged their work. The LGI hosted a looping video of the stop-motion animation and short films by the Film/Photo and Computer Animation classes, with their photography arranged on the walls and some panels behind the staircase. Tables and display cases of ceramic vessels and sculptures, metal jewelry and fantasy figures, and distinctively designed books completed the show. For those who missed the show, most but not all of the exhibits are still on display in the lobby.

The diverse group of displays is only the most recent in a decades-old tradition. Over thirty years ago, this show began as a graduation art event for seniors only, and music joined art in the late 1980s. Last year, members of the Harriton choral program sang for the event. This year’s musical contribution was the piano skills of Ben Appel during the event and the instrumental concert afterwards.

It was Mr. Murray’s thirtieth year of participation, and he reflected about the changes he has seen in the Harriton Arts and Music Festival, “The greatest difference that I see is variety of work presented.” “The show used to be very heavy on 2-D work, painting, drawing and printmaking. The new building has afforded us the opportunity to expand our Metal Arts, Film & Photography and Ceramics programs, and this was very much in evidence in this year’s show.”

Mr. Murray was especially proud of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new art gallery, otherwise known as the recently added gray display panels that stand between the staircase and the wall of the art hallway. “The new gallery was an effort by Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Witman, [and] the class of 2007, with Mrs. Cooke’s husband acting as architect/designer of the display furniture,” he reported.

The rest of the art department matched Mr. Murray’s enthusiasm. Ms. Witman, Ms. Carter, and Ms. Labrinakos all commented on their pleasure in seeing the students’ pride in their accomplishments. Additionally, since, as Ms. Carter said, “the Arts and Musical Festival is the culmination of a year’s hard work,” it was deeply rewarding to see so much support for the art students from faculty, administration, family, and friends.  In praise of the students’ versatility, Mrs. Labrinakos added, “So many of them take multiple different art courses throughout their years at Harriton.  It is really exciting to see how creative and talented our students are in working with so many different art media.”

The Harriton Arts and Music Festival showcased the talent of students from all grades and art courses on that night and spoke to the importance of the arts at our school. For over thirty years, the art department has put on shows with thought-provoking and beautiful work, and the 2014 Festival, with the dedication of the new gallery, can be counted as a success among them. Congratulations to all the students who contributed!