The Middle School got a facelift this week when students from the sixth grade, armed with colored masking tape and their imaginations, covered the windows of the middle school atrium with line art as part of a project for art class.

The project was inspired by Darel Carey, a visual artist who uses lines to create optical illusions that shape and bend the dimensions of flat surfaces and space. His art includes painted murals, digital art, and tape installations. 

In art class, students learned about the principles of design which include movement, unity, and emphasis. They then put the lesson to practice as they created tape installations on the atrium windows while exploring the principles of design in their own line art projects. 

“I’ve never done this project before and was excited to see how engaged and enthusiastic the students were. They collaborated well with their partners and reworked their ideas until they were satisfied. Not to mention, the work is a fun addition to the Middle School,” said art and design teacher Katie Tobin.  

Students chose to work alone or collaborate with peers as they expressed their vision using the tape to display a variety of colors and shapes in their final pieces. “We used our imagination and decided on a hexagon as the centerpiece of our art, with our initials in the middle,” said Nico Middleton ’28 while proudly pointing out the initials “N+J” in the middle of the design. “Our initials symbolize our friendship,” said Jiya Dohil ’28. 

Although the project was inspired by Darel Carey’s work, students were not confined to his approach but were able to draw inspiration from their own experiences. “I featured the word ‘love’ in my installation because learning how to love each other and accept each other is such an important part of community,” said Courtney Marchiony ’28, highlighting the potential for art to resonate with students. 

The line art installations will remain featured in the Middle School through the end of the semester for all to enjoy.