Vol. 8 Looking Back on 2020

This slide presentation of art features work completed Fall Semester, primarily by Ms. McKenzie's AP Studio Art students, but also some of her Advanced Painting and Drawing students. In AP Art, students have been working to complete a 20 image portfolio, 15 images of which center around a single theme. It's extremely challenging, with a new piece due every two weeks - a very short period of time when one is developing a detailed work of art. Advanced Painting and Drawing Honors students have been focusing on developing figure drawing and painting skills, and most recently, on creating an original piece to reflect a hopeful response to a current cultural or personal issue of their choosing.

Photography and AP Art & Design students studied and emulated professional techniques for Portrait Photography throughout November to prepare for the 98th annual Scholastic Arts competition. www.artandwriting.org Students explored the use of light & shadow when composing portraits including: backlighting, silhouettes, shadow portraits, side-lighting, detail, emotive, conventional, unconventional, and environmental portraits.

Students in Intermediate and Advanced Sculpture were given an assignment to create a piece inspired by Yayoi Kusama. We watched a documentary on the artist then discussed installation, site-specific, environmental, and concept art. It was a very open ended assignment where students had to come up with their own materials and process.

For the end of the semester, Paly Instrumental students will be completing a Winter Well Wishes project, collaborating with one another to record some winter themed, or popular music and sharing those recordings in google slides of thanks and well wishes with loved ones, community members, and first responders. If you missed Paly Instrumental's Winter Concert, be sure to check it out here.

Paly Theatre is so grateful to everyone who came out and supported our virtual Fall Plays! We're wrapping up the semester with even more performances in and out of class. In class, students are working on characterization and different acting theories, and applying those methods to improvised scenes in Theatre 1, Shakespearean scenes in Theatre 2 & 3, and monologue performances in Theatre 4 & 4 Honors! Meanwhile, Stage Tech is submitting their design work for our fall shows to a state festival for adjudication, and designing their "dream show" for their final.

Our last event of the semester is a beloved Paly tradition: Play-in-a-Day! This will be the first virtual version of our 24-hour play-making extravaganza, but it promises to be just as inventive and fun as ever! Students and alumni will be divided into teams and create short plays based on a prompt, as well as a required prop and costume piece. Join us to watch these works come to life on Saturday, December 19th, at 7:30pm! Admission is free, and you can join the webinar through this link: https://zoom.us/j/9997261248

Paly Choirs presented their 18th annual Madrigal Feaste, a festive celebration of song and season.  Spectrum Singer's were beautifully captured in moving picture frames performing "Liebst du um Schönheit" by Clara Schumann.  Madrigal Singers collaborated with composer Dale Trumbore on the piece, "Threads of Joy" which featured Paly student artwork. Festival Choir performs the choral favorite "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.  This concert features song selections from various time periods all around the world.  Watch it here.  Huzzah!