Artclectic volunteers celebrate 3rd most successful year

By Susan Chapman, Artclectic Coordinator

“Artclectic is such a special event,” said USN parent Sarah Bishop (Hattie ’29). “I love that it benefits USN in such a meaningful way. I also think it’s incredible that it brings a community of artists to the Edgehill Campus, making it easier to support them and their livelihood.”

Bishop, along with parent of alumni Angie Howard (Will ’19 and Matt ’23) and parent Jennie Zagnoev ’02 (Evan ’30, Emma ’32, and Zoe ’32) chaired Artclectic 2023, working for months to execute their vision of Uniquely Artclectic.

“I always enjoy watching the space transform from a school gymnasium into a sophisticated art gallery,” Howard said. “It’s even more fun to watch the students who are experiencing Artclectic for the first time walk into the gallery and see the transformation. Their faces truly light up with amazement.”

The chairs ensured there was something for everyone at our annual art show. That work included recruiting talented committee volunteers, selecting the participating artists, soliciting sponsors, and planning the parties.

“I love the diversity of the art as well as the importance we, as a school, put into including the students in the weekend,” Zagnoev said. “My kids come home asking about specific artists, and they always have some great story about someone they met while walking through the display gallery.”

As we close the books on Artclectic 2023 we are grateful to so many people for contributing to our success:

• Parent of alumni and featured artist James Threalkill (Imani '11) was a rock star on campus. He spent the week interacting with students of all ages, engaging them in his work processes and delighting them with a final product they could see and touch.
• Our sponsors were generous underwriters for our special events and gallery expenses. These donors are our fellow parents, alumni, and dear friends of USN. They are our heroes.
• Some 57 artists brought their most spectacular pieces to illuminate our gallery and inspire our visitors. Their art was approachable and affordable. Buyers ranged from young students selecting their first piece of real art to seasoned art collectors adding to their investments. Art sales resulted in the third most successful year of Artclectic in its 27-year history.
• More than 130 volunteers — committee members and daily workers — tirelessly gave hour after hour to plan, execute, and ensure that our artists and visitors had an exceptional experience.
• USN faculty and staff so graciously allowed Artclectic to take over the school for 10 days. They worked around the mess as set-up began, they parked off campus and walked to school so that artists and visitors could have the closest parking spots, and they helped transport needed supplies to and from school. They selflessly ensured that Artclectic would run smoothly.

Most importantly, Artclectic supports innovative teaching by providing funds for our extraordinary teachers to attend workshops, explore new ways of teaching, and bring back innovative and visionary ideas to share with our students and our community.