The Fine Arts Building at Greenhill is usually filled with student work, but this winter, the spotlight has shifted into a gallery with a faculty art exhibition celebrating the intersection of teaching and artistic practice. 

The exhibit, currently on display through March 25, showcases work from nine faculty artists across disciplines including visual arts, photography, woodworking and technical theater. A “Meet the Artists” reception was held Feb. 11, inviting students, families and community members to walk the gallery, meet the artists and engage with their work firsthand. 

Preschool and Lower School visual arts teacher Libby Dicenso contributed five of her pieces to the art show, primarily landscape that range from representational to abstract, but all hold a deeper meaning to her. 

“They’re all my most recent pieces,” Dicenso said. “I try to travel as much as I can during summer breaks and holidays, and I’m really inspired by the places I visit and putting them in art helps capture the moment for me.” 

One of Dicenso’s paintings depicts her hometown, a place she once longed to leave. 

“Growing up, I complained all the time about how small it was,” she said. “Now that I live somewhere else, I see how beautiful and special it is, and I wish I had appreciated it more then.” 

According to Dicenso, that idea of finding beauty in the everyday, is something she hopes viewers will take away. 

“We’re so used to the places we see every day that we stop noticing them,” she said. “I want people to see the beauty in the mundane.” 

The faculty art show was originally proposed by photography teacher Frank Lopez, who said the school has hosted similar exhibitions every few years. The most recent show before this one took place several years ago, and plans for another were delayed by the pandemic. 

“With the 75th anniversary coming up, it felt like the right moment to bring it back,” Lopez said. 

According to technical theater and Upper School woodworking teacher Will Turbyne, he used the exhibition as an opportunity to push his own creative boundaries. He contributed three end-grain cutting boards, a technique he had never used before, titled “Basket Weave No. 1”, “3D Cutting Board” and “Chaos No. 1.” 

“I’ve made edge-grain cutting boards for years,” Turbyne said. “This was about trying something new and sharing that growth with the community.” 

Additionally, Turbyne said the diversity of work on display reflects the individuality of the faculty. 

“We have nine different artists, nine different identities and nine different ways of engaging with the world,” he said. “That’s exactly what I expected, and it has definitely lived up to those expectations.” 

Lower School art teacher Mary Adaila contributed five works, including a large collage and two mixed-media diptychs. Her pieces focus on themes of reinvention, drawing from old artwork and found materials. 

“I like the idea of taking something old and reworking it instead of starting with a blank white canvas,” Adaila said. “It feels reflective of where I am in my life: lots of lines, lots of layers, holding on and letting go.” 

Adaila said the show also serves to remind the community that faculty members are practicing artists, not just instructors. 

“We value being teachers,” she said, “but we’re also artists, and it’s fun to be able to share that part of ourselves on campus.” 

Students who attended the exhibition said the show offered a new perspective on their teachers. Freshman Divya Chamarthy said seeing faculty artwork made the Fine Arts Building feel different. 

“It was cool to realize that our teachers are still creating and experimenting, just like we are,” Chamarthy said. “It made the space feel more inspiring.” 

Chamarthy added that the variety of styles stood out to her. 

“Every piece felt personal,” she said. “You could tell everyone brought something different, and it made me want to slow down and really look.” 

Faculty members say the show is not intended to overshadow student work, but rather to complement it. 

“The focus should always be on students,” Adaila said. “But it’s powerful when everyone in the community contributes.” 

Organizers hope to continue hosting faculty art shows every two to three years, offering both artists and students a reminder of why creative practice matters. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to make time for your own art as teachers. This was a good excuse to do that,” Dicenso said, “and share it with the community.”