Arts This Year

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
August 29 - September 27; reception on September 19 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

It’s Supposed to Be Funny is a group of predominantly digital works encompassing a wide scope of artist Ali R. Thome’s portfolio from her years as a freelance illustrator. Many pieces were created for her own personal enjoyment, inspired by thoughts, stories, obsessions with a celebrity or movie, or simply because she needed to draw an idea to get it out into the world. She will also share with us some of her work as an illustrator and animator on the YouTube channel Extra History. What she loves most is that her art allows her to be silly and not take anything too seriously. If it makes viewers chuckle, that’s a bonus.
 

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
October 1 - October 27; reception on October 10 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.

From bustling scenes in Havana to gatherings and moments of celebration on the Malecón, this photojournalism exhibit is a vibrant celebration of Cuba’s enduring spirit, which photojournalist Tom Franklin explains “still thrives amid the challenges imposed by decades of economic sanctions and trade restrictions initiated by the United States.” Experience the rich tapestry of Cuban life and culture, from the rituals of Santería to the determination of young Cuban boxers in training. Classic American cars, vibrant street scenes, and a simplicity reminiscent of a bygone era serve not only as aesthetic elements but also as poignant symbols of a resilient society determined to preserve its identity amid external challenges. Through this exhibit, Franklin aims to offer viewers a nuanced perspective that embraces both vibrancy and complexities.
 

Wean Studio Theatre
October 24, 25 & 26 at 7:30 p.m.

What’s on the menu in the Wean Studio Theatre October 24, 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.? Murder, of course. Based on the beloved Hasbro board game CLUE and the eponymous Paramount Pictures movie, Clue: On Stage (High School Version) is a subversive comedy whodunit that will have audiences roaring as they try to uncover “WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!” Adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, this farce/murder mystery follows the motley crew of mysterious dinner guests led by the butler, Wadsworth—Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard—as they race to find the killer before they’re next!

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
October 30-Novemner 23; reception on November 21 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

Neither Amy Forsyth nor her husband, Charley Farrell, can seem to make up their minds about what to be when they grow up. They both started their professional careers as architects, but they each work in many other creative disciplines, sometimes together, sometimes separately. Amy draws obsessively, although she can only persuade Charley to sketch with her while traveling in foreign countries. Charley paints, has remodeled and redesigned all their homes, plays the guitar, and writes songs. Amy often sings and plays the fiddle with him, when she’s not in her woodshop, building furniture and various peculiar objects. Making a Scene is a reflection of their many interests and obsessions.

DuBois Theatre
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
November 1, 5:30 p.m.

Featuring the Blair Performing Arts Department

DuBois Theatre
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
November 22, 7 p.m.

Featuring Jazz Ensemnle, Singers, Chamber Choir, Symphony & Chamber Orchestras

Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts 
December 5-14; reception on December 5 at 7 p.m.

Through the exploration of a uniquely wide range of media and concepts, Blair’s young artists showcase their voices and perspectives along with the technical skills they have worked so hard to hone during the final semester. In this end-of-year exhibit, the success and growth of Blair’s talented art students is on full display. 

First Presbyterian Church in Blairstown
December 13, 4:30 & 7 p.m.

Featuring Blair Academy Singers & Chamber Orchestra

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
January 4-January 20; reception on January 10 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

Angela Humes is a first-generation American artist of Palestinian descent, creating functional black-and-white porcelain ceramic art. All of her wheel-thrown pieces are handmade and feature hand-drawn sgraffito designs inspired by her heritage. Growing up, she saw vibrant cultural artwork in the homes of family members. She recalls handwoven rugs, tapestries, sculptures, paintings, lanterns, ceramic art, and clothing. These memories inherently and intuitively come out in her artwork, collected by her ancestors, absorbed through childhood, and emerging as something uniquely crafted by her. Every piece is one of a kind, as she never repeats patterns, giving every piece its own personality. Nejwi “Secret Keeper” is the personification of her art into a family of works, where each has its own distinctive voice and is named after a member of her family. 

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
February 8-March 7; reception on February 13 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

The Romano Gallery is pleased to once again welcome three inspirational emerging artists showcasing their talents. Kyle Edwards, an artist and creative, specializing in art and graphic design, large and small-scale murals, inspired apparel, event coordination, entertainment, and creative consultation, will share pieces of these many creative projects. 
Clare Grant ’19 will showcase work from her past few years as a photojournalist. She shares individual photos as well as photo stories from her time at Elon University, where she studied cinema, television arts, and photojournalism, and pieces produced during various internships around the country, including Washington state, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Louisville. A Vietnamese photographer based in Brooklyn, Anh Nguyen ’18 explores how cultures shift and adapt outside of their original contexts, through unpacking rituals around food. She shares this delicious spread of work with the audience here in this unique trio experience.

DuBois Theatre
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
February 20, 21 & 122 at 7:30 p.m.

Get in, Blair—we’re going to the theatre! On February 20, 21 and 22, Mean Girls High School Version takes center stage at DuBois Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The musical, based on the iconic 2004 film, was nominated for an astonishing 12 Tony Awards, with the book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and music by Jeff Richmond. Nothing can prepare new student Cady Heron for her fierce new high school in the United States, where she must face The Plastics, a frenemies trio that rules the school, led by their queen bee, Regina George.

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
March 22-April 18; reception on March 27 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

Housing multiple individual worlds of assemblages, dioramas, and “clayaramas,” the Romano Gallery transforms into a galaxy of creativity. Father and daughter duo, Leo and Karen Kaplan share more than two lifetimes of artistic expression in one exhibit. The late Leo Kaplan’s assemblages combine objects from the past, including antique memorabilia, toys, wood type, and more. He organized materials, surfaces, colors and patterns abstractly to present the objects anew. Without disturbing their separate identities, he combined them into a new and highly personal image. Karen Kaplan Klein’s dioramas are constructed in layers with color overlays in conversation with black and white. Her “clayaramas” are dioramas created with ceramics. Walking through this exhibit, visitors experience moments frozen in time. The viewer can pause to peruse each world and create stories that piece together this “snapshot of eternity.”
 

DuBois Theatre
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
April 16, 10:30 a.m.

Featuring the Blair Music Ensembles

The Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts
April 25-May 24; reception on April 25 @ 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The gallery will close at noon on the show’s last day.
 

Advanced art students at Blair embrace new kinds of freedom and fresh challenges this year. Come and experience truly Blair-based artistic endeavors and celebrate the highlights from the upper-level studio courses.
 

DuBois Theatre
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts 
April 25, 8 p.m.

Featuring Jazz Ensemble, Singers, Chamber Choir, Symphony & Chamber Orchestras 

Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration
Forum
May 2, 7 p.m.

Featuring digital music students work. 

Romano Gallery
Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts 
May 9-May 24; reception on May 9 at 7 p.m.

Through the exploration of a uniquely wide range of media and concepts, Blair’s young artists showcase their voices and perspectives along with the technical skills they have worked so hard to hone during the final semester. In this end-of-year exhibit, the success and growth of Blair’s talented art students is on full display. 

Robert J. Evans Open Air Theatre
May 15, 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m.

X marks the spot in the Robert J. Evans Open Air Theatre for Ken Ludwig’s Treasure Island May 15, 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. The Blair Academy Players invite Buccaneers of all ages to embark on the seven seas with Jim Hawkins, a 14-year-old boy on the hunt for adventure. Based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and adapted by Ken Ludwig, this swashbuckling journey of treachery and mayhem brings audiences face-to-face with the infamous hero-villain Long John Silver as he battles between good and evil.