Local Artists Brighten Paideia’s Campus

By Reggie Moorman

In February, many high schoolers walking through Oakdale Hall were greeted by a woman painting a beautiful blue python on the wall. Her name is Christina Kwan, and she was one of two local artists Paideia commissioned “to liven up our new (or newly refreshed) spaces,” according to head of school Tom Taylor. The other artist Peter Ferrari, a former Paideia student, designed a mural in the new Junior High. Recruited by art teachers in both the High School and Junior High, Taylor acknowledged that “we always leave space in the budget in order to have excellent art across campus,” and most people around school would agree that each artist fit the bill.

Christina Kwan has been creating art since she was a kid. She says that her artistic motivation has shifted throughout different points of her life. Right now, she’s driven by her responsibilities as a working mom. Her desire is to “build a foundation for a sustainable future for [herself] and [her] family to be secure and to thrive.” Christina knew a number of parents in the Paideia community who support her work or collect her art, so when she received an email from art teacher Dianne Bush, she jumped at the opportunity to do something special for the campus. She expressed how she had “been treated with the utmost dignity and respect” by members of our community. The students even helped make her experience painting better. Christina recounted “the best part about the experience was hearing the students' reactions to my artwork.” Painting in front of teenagers felt intimidating; Christina was initially afraid of students being judgemental, but she was delighted to hear how openly impressed the Paideia student body was with her artwork. “They ended up being one of the sweetest and most important audiences I’ve ever painted in front of,” said Christina.

Peter’s artwork is driven by his desire to connect with people. He’s always been fascinated by that part of art. He said, “Whether it’s visual art, music, dance, etc. our species responds to artistic expression across time, space and identity. To be a part of that is truly an honor.” When Junior High art teacher Lowell Thompson, who attended Paideia at the same time as Peter, reached out to him, it was an easy choice for Peter to come back and do something nice for his old school. Peter typically paints animals, but recently he's been trying a new style of palette and background elements. He was excited to have the opportunity to try out his new style on the Paideia mural. Similarly to Christina, Peter’s favorite part about painting his mural at Paideia was seeing the students react to the process. He said, “At first the piece seems very simple. The early background elements are gestural and basic, while the subject and the representational elements are much more intricate and exciting. I could see their reactions change as the piece came together.

While our community was excited about the artwork, there is an added joy in knowing that the presence of our student body made these artists' experience more enjoyable. Our student body and entire Paideia community thank both of these incredible artists for taking the time to add beautiful artwork that will liven up our campus.