Teachers face challenges adapting their classes to new learning models and art teachers have been no exception.

As Middle and Upper School art students wrapped up their first major projects, the art teachers were able to try out the first virtual art exhibit of this school year. This was a team effort designed by Lower School Visual Art Teacher Mary Aidala and Middle School and Upper School Visual Art Teachers Lesley Rucker and Thomas Martinez. Over the summer, they came up with the idea to use the digital platform called Artsteps.com in place of a traditional art exhibit held on-campus.

This digital platform allows you to use existing layouts as a template for coming up with gallery ideas and the overall design on your own. Martinez designed the gallery and chose to create one so that there would be enough space to fit all the various grade levels’ work into one gallery.  This layout allows grade levels to have designated areas and for Upper School artists to have their own gallery space.

Putting all the pieces together to create this gallery was no simple task for Martinez as there were many works of art to include in this exhibit.

“It has been a difficult process, but this website allows us a chance to create a formal exhibit,” Martinez said.

There are over 150 student works on display and the grade levels range from fifth to 11^th grade. You can also leave a comment on any students’ work by signing up for the website and clicking on the piece you would like to comment on.

The art teachers are looking to have various exhibits utilizing this same platform until they can use their physical space safely with health and social distancing precautions in place. They are hoping to expand the virtual gallery so that it includes students’ work from Rucker’s Studio Art classes, Furr’s 3D Art classes, and Lopez’s photography groups.

“I am thinking with the number of submissions I received from just my groups I may have to create separate spaces for each grade level,” Martinez said. “Although, I think it is nice to have them all in one space to really see the diverse creativity that we have in the Greenhill Studio Arts classes.”

Being that this is the first virtual exhibit that the Arts Department has put on this year, it has been a huge success and has proved that there are plenty of virtual ways to compensate for traditional events.