Experience the Arts Day: A Day of Works and Progress
April 17, 2025
By Sabenah Abudu-Abrams and Riley Jones
Elizabeth Gore ‘25, during the theater performance of Hair, is raised in the air angelically by her peers. With her hair flowing and the sun in her face, Elizabeth proves that the thespians are capable of defying gravity. The thespians’ performance on Experience the Arts Day left dozens of students present in awe and regret for missing the showcase of Hair, which took place in December of 2025. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.A zoom in of the artistic keyboard performance played by Micah Kennedy ‘26. His concentration and dedication to the instrument resulted in his astonishing performance which wooed the crowd. Many students forget Experience the Arts Day is not only about the visual art classes, but also about the musical classes which use this day to display their talent. A big round of applause to these brave performers who made this day so much more memorable. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Among the painters is Avery Breslin ‘26, who made the decision to paint on a wooden canvas. The wooden canvas is layered with purple orchids and brush strokes to integrate the wood into the piece rather than to leave it as a simple base. She poses next to her artwork with a brush in hand ready to continue the hard work. Photo courtesy of Sabenah Abudu-Abrams ‘26, April 9, 2025.Another art medium taught at Woodward is ceramics, which focuses on shaping and forming art by hand to create a visual representation of the artist’s feelings and emotions. This piece by Greta Sletteland ‘25 does just that by carving and painting this unique piece to showcase her talent. The carefully carved shape and its carefully drawn lines highlight Greta’s attention to detail and talent with her hands. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Painting her own portrait, Vi Duval ‘28 is a vision of serenity entirely focused on her painting. As she elegantly uses her brush to paint herself, passing students quietly observe her artwork and give her the space and time needed to create such a masterpiece. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.India Smith ‘26 holds up her developed photograph. As a photography student, India’s responsibilities extend farther than simply taking photos. She must develop her pictures and improve them as she sees fit. India is photographed with her own picture of palm trees, the ideal vacation setting. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Spencer Moore ‘26 and Ava Critz ‘26 pose during Ava’s painting break. Ava, an art student, is hard at work while student observers, like Spencer, keep her company in Ava’s spare time. After taking a cute pic, the pair walked through the area to see the different art pieces and the rest of Woodward’s art community. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Delaney Cooper ‘25 on the pottery wheel. Pottery students showcase their astonishing talent as they skillfully shape clay and use water to prevent it from drying. In the beating hot sun students, like Delaney, were required to use their experience to estimate the amount of water and other materials required to successfully create art out of the clay. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Chandler Lewis ‘26 and Linda Ward ‘26 working with Broadcast to document all of the art and events taking place on Experience the Arts Day. They record and photograph all of the art to ensure that this day is not forgotten. This documentation also allows artists to view their work from a different perspective and improve their skills if necessary. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.Rylie Gardiner ‘26 paints on his colorful canvas. With his hat covering his face from the sun he is able to work in the heat as long as necessary to finish his artwork. The mixture of colors in his painting begin to cloud from a thin black layer hinting at the depth and sincerity of the painting. Rylie has been a painter at Woodward since his freshman year, and it so clearly shows. His talent and drive prove to all that pass by that he is going places. Photo courtesy of Riley Jones ‘26, April 9, 2025.