Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia A Month-Long Look at How #DarArtsServe
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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A Month-Long Look at How #DarArtsServe

Kim Tunnell | October 1, 2019 | 791 views

Eighth-grader Maya Pandya stands in front of a new art installation in Thatcher Hall. Each feather was colored by students and faculty members and inspires us to all celebrate what lifts us.

Tradition, one of the great things about Darlington. Our traditions set us apart, and are built on those things that make memories and remind us of the motto and mission of the school. Whether it is Opening Convocation the first week of school, Alumni Celebration and Homecoming or RUMPUS and the festivities around graduation, we look forward to those traditional and expected events that happen each and every year. 

For many of us who have been at Darlington for 10 or more years, Fall for the Arts feels like one of those traditions. As long as I have been a faculty member at Darlington, we have set aside a period of time in the fall or spring to celebrate our fine arts programs and recognize students and the many contributions that they are making in the visual, performing and media arts.  

2019 brings an opportunity for us to look at another way to celebrate and focus on the how and why behind celebrating the arts that we create, share, and enjoy at Darlington, in Rome and beyond. For the month of October, we will ask the question “how do the arts serve?”

How do the arts serve us, each other and the world around us? 

How will we do this? From Oct. 7 - Nov. 7 we will spotlight guest artists on campus, art in the classroom, on display and on the stage and think about the need that each of those experiences provides for us and supports the mission and motto of our school. 

How do the arts serve how we look at wisdom, service and honor in our everyday happenings on campus? Can we name those experiences and articulate how they support our student experience, cycle of learning, and strategic plan for the school? I think so and I hope that we can all find ways to name and showcase the arts as it helps us in each and every aspect of the daily Darlington experience. 

Just this weekend I observed the students on the yearbook staff in a planning workshop that allowed them to look at the ways the 2019-20 Jabberwokk will tell the stories of the year and serve the community’s history. I also observed a group of Upper School students from a variety of grade levels and nationalities coming together to support children attending the Rome Symphony Orchestra’s Star Wars Concert and family event downtown. Students used creativity and service to support this well-attended community event and shared the Darlington spirit of service beyond self with our community.

Last Monday, alumni Jesse Milner (‘10) shared his incredible artwork with us to have on exhibit in the library for the next few weeks. Jesse is a talented artist who continues to share his passion for the arts and serves the community locally.

These are three examples of what we are already doing and there are many more that have happened this year and will continue to happen in the weeks and months ahead. We want to showcase these happenings and shine a light on these innate and organic opportunities that take place in our community. 

So what does this mean? How do I participate in #DarArtsServe? Here are 5 ways that you can play a part as an artist during this special focus:

  1. As a student: Find an opportunity to use your creativity and artistic side in the classroom or other campus experiences.
  2. As a parent: Notice, and encourage, the creative and artistic experiences that your child is having at Darlington. 
  3. As a faculty member: Share your artistic side with your students and foster that creativity in your classroom and beyond, taking your show on the road!!
  4. As a member of the Darlington Community: Look for the ways that the arts are serving us and share it through social media and talk about it with others in our community.
  5. As an Artist: Share your experiences on social media, a school gallery or even a blog.

Throughout the month of October, follow #DarArtsServe along with #talentedtigers and #confidentcontributors on social media to see how the arts at Darlington help us to serve others, always. 

And stay tuned, we have a great event in the works to cap off this month and celebrate!