On Wednesday night, October 13, twenty parents and grandparents arrived on campus to
explore and sharpen their creative talents during “An Evening of Art at NCS,” hosted by Norfolk Collegiate School’s upper and middle school visual art faculty members. The eager group received a warm welcome from Nance Corriveau, chair of the art department, whose passion for the arts is contagious. Her words convey an admiration for both the broad power art holds as a vehicle of expression as well as a mastery of its technical intricacies.
“The NCS art program is place where students are encouraged to think creatively with no
limits; where the key to success is being able to draw outside of the lines,” said Mrs. Corriveau. “We are inspired by artistic ‘risk takers’ whose work colors our hallways, wins recognition every year in art contests and competitions, and challenges boundaries.”
Participants enjoyed viewing the excellent work on display in the lobby from two seniors who are working one-on-one with art department members in independent studies this year: Ellen Bouchard’s study titled “Oils and the Renaissance” and Tanya Hollandsworth’s
original pieces that follow the AP Studio Art curriculum.
The bulk of the evening was spent in individual art classes. Participants chose from one of the following four workshops:
Katherine LeMay led her group through a historical discussion of the symbolism present in many of the world’s masterworks. Mrs. LeMay, an NCS alumnus, teaches art and art history in the middle and upper schools. With her academic training in art history, Mrs. LeMay sees art as “a creative solution to a problem, whether it is political, social, or 
environmental.”
Melinda Vooss, the lower school art teacher and NCS alum, demonstrated a variety of techniques using oil pastels. Her group considered the flowers of Georgia O’Keefe before launching into their own colorful projects; blending warm and cool colors into floral patterns. To Mrs. Vooss, “art in its simplest form is the convergence of line, shape and color but its true essence reflects the soul of its creator.” She enjoys collaborating with the lower school teachers to blend this passion and creativity into art lessons that reinforce subjects studied in the classroom, such
as math or science.
The pottery group worked with Cathy Wright who teaches art, graphics, and yearbook in the middle and upper school. Utilizing slab work and the pottery wheel, each person created their own ice cream bowl for a lower school student ice cream social. For Mrs. Wright, “art is how imagination jumps into the world.”
With classical music playing in the background, Nance Corriveau led a group through water color techniques which included the perfection of palm fronds. They then used their newfound expertise to create their own beachscapes with palm trees, wind surfers, and sunsets. 
"Art is an expression of one's heart brought to life through creativity and must be shared with others," said Mrs. Corrieveau. we love to see our students grow, mature and see the world through new eyes as they progress through the art curriculum. It was so heart warming to be able to extend this experience to parents and grandparents so they can have a taste of the joy art brings to our students."