On a Saturday afternoon in March, the Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration glows warm against the bitter cold. On the ground floor, a potter leans over a spinning wheel as clay ribbons coil on the bat. A floor above, editors splice together scenes for a horror flick filmed the night before. In the DuBois Theatre, stage lights flicker awake as the tech crew readies the space for evening rehearsals. It feels, in these moments, like Blair is breathing alongside its artists…steady, focused, alive.

On the hilltop, art is not a quiet sideline. It is the pulse of the community, commanding space in all aspects of Blair life, shaping identity and giving students an outlet to discover the limits of their creativity. Whether sketching portraits, composing music, blocking scenes or designing architectural models, Blair’s young artists take risks daily, supported by faculty who challenge them to see more deeply and reach further than they thought possible.

At Blair, being an artist means stepping into a space where curiosity leads, collaboration thrives and craft is honed with intention. Across the visual and performing arts, students explore mediums with both rigor and passion, learning that the creative process is as important as the final performance or portfolio. It is in these shared studios, buzzing rehearsal rooms and late-night editing sessions that Blair’s artists learn not only how to tell their stories, but also to listen to the stories of others.

“Blair artists are curious, technically precise and expressive,” Director of Vocal Music Ryan Manni-Brennan explains. “Perhaps, more importantly, they are expert and appropriate risk-takers. They find ways to push their own technique, to build the excellence of the community around them and to honor the work of those who came before.”

An Actress Takes the Stage

For students like Ev Rutt ’26, there is no Blair without art. Her disciplines vary as much as the characters she embodies on stage, and her work has grown with her since arriving on the hilltop four years ago. Through the fine and performing arts department, she has found a home within the creative spaces on the hilltop where she can truly be herself.

“The artists in the studio and theatre are a true family here,” Ev explains. “When I first started, I didn’t feel judgment, which allowed me to let loose and find my voice. I’ve been able to apply that to other spaces around campus and build my confidence.”

Her confidence has continued to grow through each character she has portrayed with the Blair Academy Players. Through long hours of rehearsing and digging deep into understanding each role, Ev feels like she carries her characters with her. In the fall, her role as the boisterous Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice spilled over into her collage piece for the Fall Student Art Exhibit in the Romano Gallery. She recognized the vibrant colors and loud expression as a piece of the beloved role she took with her.

“In theatre, playing so many roles leaves an imprint on your own personality. At times, it can be all-consuming,” Ev says. Between spending time on her Advanced Portfolio projects in the art studio during free blocks to play rehearsals after school, Ev realizes the amount of effort she commits to her work. “All the time spent is worth it. If you enjoy what you’re doing, the time flies by really fast.”

Looking Through the Filmmaker’s Lens 

Zayden Mirchandani ’27 also recognizes the amount of time he commits to his work in a different corner of Blair’s artistic repertoire: film. A passion he picked up at his previous school, Zayden came to Blair and flourished under the tutelage of fine arts teacher Caroline James, who introduced him to new techniques of filming. With access to more advanced equipment, he is able to produce films he proudly enters in film festivals on campus and beyond.

“The workload…when you’re making art… you can’t put a timeline on it,” Zayden shares. “If you are passionate, it doesn’t feel like work, but it is an insane amount of time.”

While Zayden doesn’t plan to pursue film as a career, he considered it because of the supportive and creative community he found at Blair. Among his classmates, he always finds actors willing to jump in his next film. In his advanced portfolio class, he has found a network of fellow creatives across mediums to discuss ideas and provide feedback. From photography to architecture to painting, the cohort of advanced portfolio students and teachers meet monthly to share techniques, discuss what they’ve been working on and offer advice to others in a positive and creative environment.

A Soprano Soars

For musician Hope Mueksch ’26, art at Blair is built on not only commitment but also joy in music. A section leader in both choir and orchestra, Hope splits her time between the disciplines, which often means giving up some of her free blocks during the day. “You really have to commit to the songs you’re learning and practice outside of class,” she explains. “But I honestly enjoy it. I love being part of both communities without having to choose just one.” Her performing arts community extends into her dorm life in South Cottage as a prefect. Some of the sophomores in her dorm are also members of her piano and soprano sections, and you can find them singing through the halls of South Cottage or practicing their piano pieces in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts after school.

Having joined Blair as a junior, Hope immediately recognized that the ensembles demanded both advanced musicianship and personal investment. “The repertoire here is on another level. Our teachers have very high expectations for what they want to showcase,” she says. But Hope finds that those expectations come with trust and collaboration. In Orchestra, she notices how Director of Instrumental Music and performing arts department chair Jennifer Pagotto pushes students beyond simply “playing the notes,” encouraging them to shape a collective sound and celebrate one another’s progress…high fives included. In choir, she feels the same sense of shared purpose with Mr. Manni-Brennan. “He invests so much of his time in us. We want to meet him where he is, and not because we have to, but because we want to. You can feel that we’re all locked in, making music together.”

The Teachers Behind the Talent

One of the common threads tying the artistic experiences of Ev, Zayden and Hope together is the supportive faculty in the fine and performing arts departments, guiding their work while offering the creative freedom to uncover their own potential. These teachers devote themselves to helping students question, experiment and discover, pushing them to develop their own distinctive voice in whatever medium they choose. Their guidance and support allows artists to feel safe reaching outside the box and experimenting with their artistic expression.

“Mrs. [Gina] Trish challenges us to try new techniques in the studio,” Ev explains. “It’s scary at first, but then surprising to see what we can do. She shows us that every brushstroke matters.”

Zayden has a similar experience working with Ms. James. With a smaller class for Film 2, he was able to work closely with her and gain access to her knowledge. As a fellow filmmaker, they shared an understanding of the artistic process, and Zayden never felt rushed to simply meet deadlines. With her guidance and support, he was able to grow as an artist.

The principle of teachers encouraging students to reach new heights continues during play rehearsals with Director of Theatre L’Oreal Carter. “Mrs. Carter knows us really well and sees the potential in all of us that we might not even see yet,” Ev notes. “She encourages us to try new ways, and she’s not just a teacher or director. She’s always checking in on us outside of theatre and being a friend.”

At Blair, art is not just a creative outlet, but also an ingrained part of the curriculum and the academic day. Our student-artists—whether experienced practitioners who wish to pursue careers in the arts or curious individuals who just want to try something new—have access to top-notch, on-campus performance and creative spaces along with individual instruction from conservatory-trained musicians and accomplished artists who guide and support them throughout their journey. To be an artist at Blair means discovering who you are while finding the courage to become more.