Fine Arts Evening A Chance To Celebrate Year of Learning, Growth, and Courage

6/2/2022

More than 200 pieces of artwork from Kindergarten all the way up to the Fifth Grade, filled the Lower School hallways and stairwells for the Lower School Fine Arts Evening on Wednesday May 25 and Thursday, May 26. Showcasing a diverse range of art mediums from clay sunflowers and teapots to landscape paintings, students presented the work they created this year to family and friends.

“Fine Arts Evening is a very multifaceted event that showcases the year of learning in the Arts. Not only are students sharing their work in Visual Art and Music, but the other specialist areas are integrated as well,” said Bush Lower School Music Teacher and Performing Arts Department Chair, Matt Swanson. “For example, many of the songs were actually learned in Spanish class, there was choreography and movement from Physical Education, and the visual art pieces were supported with sound recordings from Technology. Bringing together these subjects into one event helps students build connections, and it amplifies their learning across disciplines.”

VIEW MORE PHOTOS HERE

The first in-person community art event for the Lower School since 2019, due to the pandemic, the event was split up into two evenings–Wednesday, May 25 for Kindergarten through Second Grade and Thursday, May 26 for Third through Fifth Grade.

“The evening was filled with reflection, laughter, and mingling of community members,” Lower School Arts Teacher Li-Ting Hung said. “Even with masks on, the smiles shined through their eyes. Student artists, with proud parents, beamed when they stood in front of their work.”

Matt, in his first year at Bush, said Fine Arts Evening served as a representation of how far students have grown throughout the academic year.

“Early in the year, classes were a bit reluctant to sing, having been through the pandemic where singing activities were largely curtailed,” Matt said. “Over the course of the year, however, the Lower School has really developed into a community of singers! The Fourth Grade field trip to Mount Saint Helens made that so clear to me: during that epic bus ride there was rarely a break in the singing, and I heard similar reports from other field trips. The students sing because it brings them joy and brings them together. Fine Arts Evening was a celebration of that.”

With the theme of courage, art has served as a catalyst for expression and a creative outlet for students.

"One of our Fifth Grade students reflecting on his reverse painting on glass artwork, said he discovered art is more than just about making something. He shared, “I’m learning new things about myself I didn’t know about before.” This reflection and growth is at the heart of the art program at Bush, and Li-Ting noted, “His discovery about the power of art in his work made me realize how the creative spirit is awakened in such open and honest ways.”

Back