Each trimester, Williston Northampton School confersWorking Artist Awards upon its most dedicated student creators. At Assembly on November 7, Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Natania Hume announced the awardees for the first trimester.
Amanda Shen ’19 combines her keen visual and conceptual intellect with advanced art making skills. She consistently produces outstanding works of art that make the viewer reconsider the personal and social topics she addresses from many angles.
Similarly, senior Aidan McCreary’s artwork communicates many-layered concepts in a visually arresting way. His experimentation with materials and ideas results in sophisticated and stunning work.
Brie Banas’s joy for singing and gathering people together is infectious. A junior, she consistently leads by example and successfully applies skills we learn in rehearsal to all areas of study. Her positive attitude directly impacts her music making.
Lam Thieu ’22 always shows up and is ready to do his best. He has learned to sing with courage and is not afraid to take risks and potentially make mistakes. Lam searches for ways to make music relatable and fun. He has held his own in the tenor section this trimester.
Sophie Cowperthwait is a senior member of the Dance Ensemble, serving alongside previous Working-Artist-Award-winner Kassandra Orcutt as co-dance captain this year. Her years of dance training and technique, leadership skills, and work ethic, as well as the positive energy that she brings to rehearsal every single day, make her well deserving of this award and a role model for the entire dance program.
Typically the final award goes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to the arts, but this fall the arts faculty felt it was important to honor a group of artists who surpassed expectations. We are awarding the entire cast and stage manager of The Laramie Project with Williston Working Artist awards in recognition of their outstanding work on the play, in raising awareness about Matthew Shepard’s story, and fostering important conversations in our community about hate crimes and acceptance. The cast raised $1,200 for the Mathew Shepard foundation.
Congratulations to all!