With a multitude of options to explore both performing and visual arts, New Hampton School allows students to be creative every day. To understand how students pursue art here, we’ve asked two of our Huskies to share their experiences.
Meet Evan ’21
Evan ’21 is a student from Wilmington, North Carolina, who has many roles on campus. Evan is a House Proctor, a Senior Husky Ambassador, a member of the Honor Board, and plays on the varsity soccer and baseball teams. In addition to all of that, Evan is also a prominent member of the theater program and Contemporary Performance Lab.
How did you become interested in the performing arts?
I became interested in the performing arts because of my house parent, Mr. Sampson, the Theater Director. During my sophomore year, when Mr. Sampson was on duty, he would always ask my peers and me if we were interested in auditioning for the play, so, every night, he slowly convinced me to audition. I am so thankful for Mr. Sampson because not only was I cast in a role, but I had so much fun doing it! Since then, I have been involved in 4 other productions on campus.
Can you describe Contemporary Performance Lab (CPL) to us? What is some of the music you perform?
Contemporary Performance Lab is so much fun. This time with my classmates and Mr. Masterson, the Director of Music, is really rewarding. It’s a space that experienced musicians can get together and just jam. We spend our time together vibing to the music. Currently, we are working on a lot of different songs. Some notable ones we are working on are Danny California, Everyday People, and Waves. As a class, we meet every other day and spend the 70 minute period working on pieces we are interested in.
How would you describe the art opportunities on campus?
Thanks to the daily schedule, balancing athletics and arts is easy. With theater rehearsals happening at separate times from athletic practices, I’ve never had to decide between the two. The challenging part is just finding the energy to do everything you are committed to at 110%. You have to be ambitious and committed to what you put your mind to be successful but, trust me—it pays off!
Meet Brenna ’23
Brenna ’23 is a student from Wilmington, Massachusetts, who has found a new passion for ceramics during her two years on campus. Brenna is a member of our varsity soccer, hockey, and lacrosse programs. She found New Hampton School through friends and has loved it ever since her first tour on campus!
Had you ever taken a pottery class before?
Coming from a bigger middle school, there weren’t a ton of art opportunities. I only took one art class in middle school and just took the same one three different times. I always thought I was terrible at art. I still can’t draw for the life of me, but ceramics showed me differently. I wanted to take ceramics as soon as I heard about it. This year was my first time taking it first semester, and now I’m doing Ceramics 2 this semester.
What was your Project Week last year?
Project Week is the one week a year that all students at New Hampton School take a break from regular classes and focus on one project. Last year, ceramics wasn’t my first choice for Project Week, but it ended up being an amazing opportunity. A local artisan from Plymouth, NH, taught the weeklong program along with two faculty. I was extremely excited to try ceramics for the first time. I learned how to throw on the wheel, hand build, and even slip screen. So when I started in Ceramics 1, I already knew some of the things we were going to do.
How does New Hampton School allow you to pursue arts during the academic day?
New Hampton School allows me to pursue arts during the day in many different ways. We have different opportunities throughout the day, even outside of our normal class block. If you have a free block that day, you can go into the art studio and do extra work. All of our art teachers are super helpful if you need to finish anything or just want to do something extra. For instance, if you finish your assignment early, you can make your own project and just do whatever you desire. Many students work at different paces, so all the students in the class will be at a different spot in the project than another. All of our teachers are very flexible with extra help and finishing up work.
What are some other art electives that you want to do or that your friends enjoy?
New Hampton School offers many different art electives! I really want to try photography and painting. I’ve never been the best at painting, but I think it would be so fun to try it, especially in a supportive community like ours. There are many other electives to try including Animation with the Walt Disney Family Museum and digital design.