Sometimes we forget how much talent surrounds us in this tight knit school community. We see faces walk by on the paths, interact with students in classes, advisory, at meals, and in the dorms, and just know them as regular kids. And then they step foot on the stage, the court, the ice, or the hill and a whole different set of talents are exposed. Whether it was Annie performing an original song at the Jazz/Rock Ensemble, Logan showcasing his growth as a vocalist at the choral concert, Cooper and the cast putting on a remarkable performance in the winter play, or countless students displaying their artwork at the Winter Art Show, the past week reminded us how talented our student body is, how passionate our arts faculty are, and how much this community values the intersection of the arts with academics, athletics, and afternoon program.   

Proctor is incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful spaces begging for art to displayed. Through the efforts of Molly Leith, Arts Department Chair Bill Wightman, COO John Ferris, and our Maintenance team, we have transformed empty wall space throughout campus into intentional art exhibits that speak not only to the soul of Proctor, but to the talent, culture, and creativity we admire in the world around us. Check out current and future art exhibits currently open around campus!

Proctor Academy's European Art Classroom study abroad program enters completed its sixth week of painting, traveling, studying, and immersing themselves in the various cultures of Europe. Their most recent excursion to Florence, Italy proved to be one of the most powerful yet. Check out photos and reflections from Karly '18 in this week's blog. 

Coleman Horn's '86 journey to becoming a revolutionary soft goods design consultant began in Proctor's woodshop, metal shop, and dark room more than thirty years ago. Read more about Coleman's work designing many of the outdoor products we use today and his reflections on the impact Proctor had on his path in this alumni profile. 

Proctor Academy's European Art Classroom group welcomed Proctor Art Department faculty member Corby Leith '92 to Aix-en-Provence for a visit this week. They shared the following reflections, photos, and video prior to heading out on their next weeklong excursion. Read more below!

The cast and crew of the winter drama program have been working hard each afternoon and evening to prepare for this winter’s play on February 23 and 24: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The show, based on the novel by Mark Haddon, is from the perspective of an autistic young man, Christopher, as he investigates a neighborhood mystery and a series of clues with deep familial implications. Throughout the winter term, the actors and technical crew have been experimenting with the portrayal of Christopher’s internal commentary and his relationships, providing a brief window into another world.

After a week in Paris, Proctor's European Art Classroom Winter 2018 group returned to the familiar streets of Aix-en-Provence  and welcomed visiting parents (and aunts and uncles) to their home in the south of France. As the group shared their life on Euro filled with painting, exploring, and sucking the marrow out of the experiences laid before them, Grace '18 reflects below on the past week studying abroad. 

As someone who is relatively - maybe completely - incapable of carrying a tune (I’ve been told I couldn’t carry one in a bucket), who dodged requisite instrument lessons as a youth with artfulness and guile, and who only much later (this year) started tinkering with chords on a piano, you’d think appreciation for the individual and collaborative journey of musicians might have eluded me. Not so much. It’s more a sense that I didn’t carry that “gift”, that innate wizardry the musical seem to possess enabling them to hear and see the intricacies of beats and rhythms and to speak in that language, but that doesn’t translate into a lack of appreciation.