For years, Garrison Forest School has joined many other schools across the nation in holding a “signing day” to celebrate athletes signing letters of intent to attend and play Division 1 college sports. On Tuesday, May 8, GFS recognized the school’s five students bound for art colleges with an inaugural Arts Signing Day.
The idea for the day was born following Garrison Forest’s Division 1 signings last fall. “The senior class has a lot of very artistic students and I thought it important to celebrate them at the same level that we celebrate our athletes,” said Head of School Lila Lohr. “This is the perfect class to begin this tradition as it is full of so many exceptionally talented artists.”
Ms. Lohr presented the idea to the art faculty who organized the event modeled after the Division 1 signing day. The students attending art colleges joined their families, arts faculty, college counselors and Ms. Lohr in her office for the signing celebration. In keeping with the visual arts focus of the day, even the students’ signatures were a work of art—the students signed a wood plaque designed by art teacher Diane Yu, hand cut by art teacher Sarah Sachs with small signature plates 3-D printed by science teacher Jim Audette. The excited students were proud to place the first signatures on a plaque that will be joined by the many students following in their footsteps in the years to come.
Garrison Forest has a stand-out visual arts program among area schools, and this longstanding tradition has produced many college-bound artists who have gone on to excel in careers ranging from staging movie sets to mural painting to jewelry design. Garrison Forest hopes to set an area precedent in acknowledging those students who have excelled in the arts and plan to pursue their artistic passion in their careers.
• Lizzie Bonsal, Maryland Institute College of Art
• Ati N’Diaye, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Sally Pfeiffer, Pratt Institute
• Nia Tyson, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
• Kate Williams, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Congratulations to this recognized group of talented students! May you be inspired to conquer all the challenges that will test your knowledge and abilities!