This March, the Harriton art department will be introducing Zenith, a student-run art website with content ranging from student paintings and photography to makeup tutorials, DIYs, cartoons, reviews, and more! Zenith will be updated regularly with featured artists, as well as current local art and entertainment events.

Advised by Ms. Jackson and Ms. Witman, the members meet every Thursday to plan, set goals, and have fun. The student editors-in-chief are sophomores Jenna Pearlstein, Zoey Greenberg, Liza Cohen, and Olivia Gregonis, and they are led by executive editor Katie Lee, also a sophomore. She manages the editors-in-chief and ensures everything is on schedule.

The Harriton Banner was able to ask Katie Lee about the upcoming art website and how it was formed.

Harriton Banner: What inspired the production of a student-run art website?

Katie Lee: We felt as if the art department was sort of isolated from the rest of the school, so we wanted to make something like think [the Banner’s print magazine], but we didn’t want to use as much paper as think magazine did, so we decided to make a blog-like website which we could update frequently. Also, [we thought] that a website would be easily accessible and user-friendly. We wanted to promote and expand the knowledge of art within Harriton, because sometimes it feels underrated.

HB: Why did you apply to lead and create content for the website?

KL: Art has always been a large part of my life. I also feel like I’m maybe good with organization. So that combination of knowing, sort of, how the art education at Harriton runs, while also being able to contribute different types of art, excitement, organization, and the ability to keep the ball rolling inspired me to take part in Zenith.

HB: Why did you choose Zenith as the name of the website?

KL: Zenith means the apex, or highest point, reached by someone or something, and I think that this name fits exactly what we envision the website to become. This website is an opportunity to introduce and expand art education to Harriton, and maybe even beyond that. Zenith is a place where all ideas are welcome and can be freely expressed. I mean, isn’t that what art is all about? Our art community at Harriton is amazing and I am so glad that I get to be part of such a creative and inviting group, so I wanted to do something, sort of give back but also help it become more, like… out there. You know?

HB: I love that! What will be featured on the website? Will it mainly be focused on art classes at Harriton or will it have other pieces?

KL: Okay, so we basically divided all of the art topics that we wanted to cover into five main topics, which range from entertainment, like books and music, to student-made art, to fashion and makeup, and to art-related events that are happening around our area. Art is everywhere, so we tried to incorporate both Harriton art and art that is outside Harriton but still in our community.

HB: Who is your target audience for the website? What do you hope visitors gain by going on to the website?

KL: Well, first of all, we hope that every student at Harriton [visits] at least once! Other than the students at Harriton… well, the website is open for anyone to view. So I would be fine with strangers looking at the art we are producing because that is promoting how amazing the art department at Harriton is and all that can come out of the students’ minds.

HB: What are some difficulties that you and other Zenith editors are facing while starting the website?

KL: Well, since nothing remotely close to this has ever been tried before, I think that establishing roles and then sticking only to those roles was difficult – because everyone wants to be a part of it, obviously. But you have to narrow it down to the people that will actually put in the effort. Also, since this hasn’t been done before, introducing the idea of a student-run website that is not the Harriton Banner was difficult to get across administration and the big guys.

HB: Can you describe your goals for Zenith in the future?

KL: Our goal is to start Zenith as something that we meant to be a little fun and creative safe space and then hopefully expanding it into something that people look forward to seeing every day for new art.

If you would like to join the staff of Zenith, email [email protected] for meeting notifications (every Thursday, Learn 2, in room 227). If you do not want to be on the staff but want to submit a piece, contact Katie at [email protected]. “We welcome anyone, whether you take art, don’t take art, love art, or are interested,” Katie said.