Art That Speaks

Inside the Levy Gallery, there’s plenty to talk about this spring. The walls and display tables are full of color, depth, and personality as St. Mary’s Upper School students share their work in the annual Art Show. However, the gallery isn’t just a display of final projects; it’s a snapshot of how each student views the world and how far she’s progressed as an artist.

Andrea Fletcher, who teaches Upper School Studio Art and Art History, helped guide students through the creative process this year. Her philosophy is simple: help each student trust her ideas and find her own voice.

“We find inspiration everywhere, from personal experiences, contemporary and master artists’ work, literature, film, and sometimes from pure impromptu drawing exercises or a conversation at lunch,” Mrs. Fletcher says. “My goal is to build their confidence by proving that their ideas have merit, and that even the most complex artwork is just a series of small, intentional steps.”

Visitors can see that confidence throughout the gallery. Some pieces are bold and experimental, others are quieter and more reflective. Many are deeply personal.

“Art is a compelling way to communicate emotions and viewpoints,” Mrs. Fletcher says. “We focus on adapting an idea from their own personal, unique lens and use visual language to record it. We have a lot of conversations about what artistic choices like color, composition, and mark-making can communicate and how those align with specific intentions.”

Students aren’t just learning how to make art. They’re learning how to use it to say something meaningful.

Mrs. Fletcher balances skill-building with self-expression, giving students room to stretch.

“To promote student growth, teaching different technical skills and media is part of the curriculum,” she says. “But discovering what speaks to each student within those parameters is also very illuminating to who they are as an artist and which tools they want to cultivate more. This creates a win-win curriculum.”

The Art Show’s diverse work reflects a broad curriculum that is designed to meet students at every stage of their creative journey. An Upper School student can choose to explore her voice in Studio Art I-II, while our more advanced students can tackle the challenges of AP Studio Art or Portfolio.

The mix of media and styles is evident in the range of work on display in the Art Show. From early projects to the final pieces hanging in the gallery, there’s a noticeable shift in skill and confidence.

“The process of the artmaking is really the most rewarding part of it,” Mrs. Fletcher says. “I get very excited on final critique days, to reflect on all the transitions that brought a piece to life. Yet the grappling in between is where the stamina, confidence, and perspectives shift.”

Students are also learning how to talk about their work in a thoughtful, confident way—something visitors saw firsthand at the reception.

“For my sculpture piece, I drew inspiration from the art style of Dr. Seuss because I love how his buildings look sort of warped, and I wanted to recreate that with my project,” said Parsons Gray ’29.

Freshman Kaitlynn Booth gleaned inspiration from renowned architect and designer Frank Gehry. “His projects often showed a lot of movement, and I wanted to recreate some of that. My piece was supposed to show the relationship between past and present, so for the more futuristic half, I placed different shapes on the walls to suggest movement,” said Kaitlynn.

And while the artwork is front and center, the soft skills that students master stay with them well beyond the studio.

“They gain a wealth of skills in collaboration and communication through peer critiques, reflection through their own self-evaluation of progress, and project management skills working within time guidelines,” Fletcher says.

Those skills carry into other classes and well beyond St. Mary’s. The art program plays an important role in helping students grow into thoughtful, confident young women who are comfortable sharing their ideas.

Mrs. Fletcher also believes art matters now more than ever.

“Making art is so central to being human; it was the first way we communicated before written or oral language,” she says. “As the world grows more and more complex in an AI age, I fully believe making art will be one of the most effective ways to maintain authenticity and well-being,” she says. 

For families and friends touring the gallery, her hope is simple.

“I hope families enjoy a moment to slow down, take in the powerful brain benefits of lingering over a piece of art, and start a conversation with their student about the art made,” Mrs. Fletcher says. “Girls are communicators at the core, and visual art is a wonderful mode of communication.”