8th Grade Arts Night 2026
Welcome, by Willem and Soren
“On behalf of The GUS Class of 2026 we would like to welcome you to Arts Night, a long standing Glen Urquhart School tradition. Arts night is a celebration of creativity through art and dance, and where we present our White Shirt Projects. The White Shirt Project is one of the most celebrated events of the eight grade year. I am proud to say each and every one of us has worked very hard and finally completed it.
At GUS, the White Shirt Project is a highly anticipated event that some of us have looked forward to since the start of our time at GUS. All of us have marveled at the projects of previous years and maybe started with crazy ideas, only to realize our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.
All of us have seen White Shirt Projects arrive after winter break, bringing with them worries over late materials, bulky parts, glue that wouldn't dry, and, when finally done, the worry of getting them into school.
The White Shirt process, as in years past, began with the Andy Warhol portraits, which prompted us to think about ourselves, our work as artists, and more.
On our trip to New York City, we found ourselves surrounded by art of all kinds. In NYC, some of us took inspiration from the colorful street art or the famous classics displayed in the Museum of Modern Art or the International Center of Photography. Some of us immediately knew who we wanted to choose to inspire our art, some of us changed their minds, and some of us weren't entirely sure. We researched artists and asked parents and teachers. We thought about our interests and drew inspiration from them, made decisions, considered the work we had to put in, scrapped those ideas, went in a different direction, and finally saw the light of the perfect artist. Although we present as calm, cool, collected, handsome, and modest, some of us struggled with ideas and the general creation of our project, but all of us persevered and learned more about ourselves as artists.”
Class of 2026 White Shirt Projects
Students are challenged to create a work of art, inspired by a contemporary artist, using a white shirt as their canvas. The work is done entirely at home, with regular check-ins with Art Teacher Brianna Stewart. They are also required to write a two-page research paper on their chosen artist, guided by Humanities Teacher Steven Kennedy, present their work to their classmates in a two-minute gallery talk, and, finally, present to an audience of family and friends at Arts Night.
Dance Performances
The Class of 2026 treated us to an engaging lesson in dance styles, exploring the history, defining characteristics, and cultural influences behind each form. Small group dances were all choreographed by students under the direction of dance teacher, Emily Twombly.
