Jessica Bai ’16, Sarah Barr ’16:

As everyone is by now well aware, next year the “J-Term” will be made a part of Episcopal’s curriculum. Proposed J-Term courses cover a variety of topics ranging from sustainability to chemistry and cooking; however, there are also a number of courses that will appeal to Episcopal students who are artistically inclined.
“From Thin Air” is an acting course taught by Daniel Clay, Upper School acting and film teacher. “The idea [of this course] is to work in collaboration with other students to develop a play or series of plays,” Clay stated. This J-Term class, which will be in lieu of the Winter Shorts, is designed to teach students to work in conjunction with each other, to explore different techniques for play-writing, and to gain exposure to improvisation and movement exercises. “I really enjoy the Winter Shorts, but there is a limit to how much we can work alongside the students. The idea of being together all day for two weeks is exciting because it allows for a much more intense and meaningful process,” Clay explained.
The course may bring in professional artists to work with Episcopal’s writers and actors and take field trips to performances.
“There is a myriad of skills that can be learned through the practice of any artistic discipline including problem solving and synthesizing information, working collaboratively, building self-confidence, practicing social skills and self-awareness, developing the imagination, sharing different perspectives, and learning to communicate using your body language and your voice,” Clay stated.
For students who may wish to consider a career in architecture, there is a J-Term course called “Sacred Spaces” taught by Dr. Topher Row, Upper School religion teacher, and Rob Maier, upper school art history teacher, in which students will design a new memorial space at Episcopal that will complement the Class of ’44 Chapel. During the course, the students will be introduced to different sacred memorials from many diverse religious traditions, often through field trips to Philadelphia and elsewhere in order to visit other sacred buildings. After gaining some background knowledge on the subject, students will design a scale model for a new memorial space at Episcopal. Students will learn and apply architectural drafting and modeling skills to bring the project to life and will be asked to display the project in front of a panel. No previous design experience is necessary for this course.
Wharton Esherick was an important link between the Arts and Crafts Movement and the interest in furniture making following World War II. He is known for non-traditional design and his work is marked by asymmetrical patterns and curvilinear. Esherick’s style reflects his motto “if it isn’t fun, it’s not worth doing.” Hank Albrycht, Upper School woodworking teacher, has proposed a J-Term Course that will take an in depth look at the life and work of Esherick. Students will learn about his painting style, block print, and wood sculpture. In addition, a visit to the Wharton Esherick Museum in Paoli, which was also Esherick’s studio, is included in the course. The museum is extremely excited for any opportunity to host students and to share Esherick’s work with young people. Pail Eisenhauer, the executive director and curator of the Wharton Esherick Museum in Paoli, expressed this enthusiasm in a statement to Scholium: “It would certainly be beneficial to have students study Wharton Esherick….Viewing his work and studying his life – the way he thought, who his friends were, what his interests were – inspire students to think about their life, and how they view things….Wharton’s work presents a challenge to people who study him; posing questions about how one thinks, lives, and dreams. We often have students, artists and woodworkers who leave their tour so inspired that they comment that they’re heading straight to their studio when they get home.”
“Behind the Veil: Photographing the American Contrast,” taught by Jackson Collins, American history teacher and V Form Dean, will examine contrasting narratives in American history, politics, and culture through literature and photography. Students taking this course will be challenged to answer thought-provoking questions about uniqueness in history and in themselves and will the contrast images examined in the course to photographs they will take themselves. “Behind the Veil” will also involve field trips to sites in the Philadelphia area.
“Digital Images for a Digital Age: Photography that Sells” will introduce Episcopal’s resident photographers to digital photography and digital layout for the print and the web. Run by Michael Leslie, the course will push students to express themselves in their photos as they develop their own photography techniques. Students will learn camera operation and shooting, adjusting exposure, composition principles, and the manipulation of light. They will be encouraged to dive into the aesthetics of photographic expression and peer critique.
David Sigel, Visual Arts Chair, and Hilary Hutchison, Upper School 3-D design teacher, will be teaching a J-Term course called “ART rEvolution.”
“It is a course open to all students with an enthusiasm for art,” explained Hutchison. “The class time will be split between extended, three hour studio classes and field trips to area galleries and museums. Students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively on a piece of public art for the campus, culminating with a student art show in the Campus Center Gallery.”
Like the other J-Term art courses, “ART rEvolution” is planning on taking field trips. “There is no substitute for visiting ‘live’ art. We are fortunate to be in very close proximity to wonderful museums, art centers, and galleries in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Washington DC, and New York. There is no set itinerary as of yet, and will most likely be determined by particular shows,” Hutchinson stated.
The students will take several things from this course, such as an appreciation of all art forms, including industrial design, architecture, drawing, sculpture, craft, gallery presentation, art history, and painting. Both Sigel and Hutchison are excited for the opportunity to share three hours rather than 40 minutes with students in the studio, which will allow for more group critiques and related art history lessons.
“I want to teach this course because I am an artist. I love to visit museums and galleries. I continue to look at contemporary and historical art because it is a never ending well of inspiration and information for both my own artwork and my teaching. I look forward to sharing this with students.” Hutchison said.