Imagination Cast Through Creativity

Wakefield School Visual Arts

By Grayson Banning '21

Published in: Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine - December 2024, p. 10 & Haymarket Gainesville Lifestyle Magazine - December 2024, p. 8

“A day without art is a day of lost potential.” 

—Gary Genther

The Visual Arts stand as a pillar of academic excellence at Wakefield School, deeply intertwined with the school’s mission of fostering “character, curiosity, and clear voices.” Upper School Fine Arts teacher Gary Genther, a monumental presence at Wakefield since 1986, has been instrumental in shaping this program. “A day without art is a day of lost potential,” he emphasizes, underscoring his belief that every student possesses an “artistic personality” worth developing. 

Over the decades, Mr. Genther has expanded the curriculum dramatically to meet the increasing demand from students, and his expectation remains consistent: excellence. “This is going to vary depending on the student and their abilities. No matter what their experience or talent level is, each has the ability to achieve excellence,” says Mr. Genther. 

Linda Northup, who teaches studio art to Middle and Upper School students, focuses on cross-curricular projects that integrate seamlessly with her students' other classwork or interests. “Sometimes the class’ interest area or what they are learning in another class goes into the curriculum. So, if they are really excited about puppets, then I’ll figure out a way to have them make puppets or paper mache.” 

Regardless of the project, Mrs. Northup believes the effort is the key to success in art. “Talent is great, but you can get where you want to go with effort.” While her students learn new skills in the classroom, Mrs. Northup continues to expand her expertise to enrich their learning experience. Building on her own summer studies, Mrs. Northrup has now added the Printmaking and Clay course to the Upper School offerings. 

Developing an appreciation for the visual arts begins early at Wakefield. Lower School Art teacher Brooke Jones thinks about ‘the developmental learning each grade level needs. The elements of art are scaffolded over the years, adding more age-appropriate content each year.” 

A key aspect of Ms. Jones' art classes is problem-solving, which invites students to think creatively and collaborate to find a solution. Ms. Jones wants "students to have an open, positive mind about what they can do in art class. They can always be successful in my class as long as they believe in themselves (and can take a little constructive criticism)." 

Ms. Jones teaches a wide range of skills through her art units, using diverse mediums such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture with found objects, paper, and cardboard. She is also intentional about integrating cross-curricular activities, often leading large-scale collaborative projects that enrich her students' learning experience.

Working closely with other teachers to support these projects, Ms. Jones is often asked to help expand on lessons in math, science, or social studies. “I enjoy collaborating with teachers and finding new ways to help students understand a concept more thoroughly," she says. This cross-curricular approach is a staple of Wakefield, creating a collaborative and engaging learning environment across subjects.

Earlier this year, Ms. Jones took her 2nd-grade students to the Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C., where they sketched different animals, focusing on shapes and textures. Combining art, science, and history, students learned about the natural world through observation and drawing. Inspired by their sketches, the class will now collaborate to create a large-scale mural of 7 different habitats for the Lower School hallway. 

Each year, 4th-graders eagerly anticipate “The Wakefield Food Network”, a math-based project centered on creating recipes using fractions. Students utilize the green screen to perform a cooking demonstration in the style of a cooking show. Last year, Ms. Jones suggested enhancing the experience by having students build a 3-D kitchen set in art class. From the architectural design and sketch, to the final cardboard build, students apply a multitude of skills all within the art classroom. These types of cross-curricular activities create synergy among each subject and allow students to use newly learned skills in a diverse range of tasks. 

The key to finding success for our students is showing them what they can achieve with their unique personalities and abilities. In an educational setting where excellence is expected, both teachers and students are rising to the challenge. Wakefield’s visual arts department represents more than just a couple of fun art projects. It allows students to think outside the box, and create something beautiful.