This summer, Studio Art and Music students participated in a culturally immersive trip to Spain that challenged them to develop their artistic talents outside the classroom. 

Mr. Fabio Witkowski, head of the visual and performing arts department, Dr. Gisele Witkowski, instructor in piano, and Ms. Terri Moore, director of Tremaine Art Gallery and instructor in art, organized the trip. 

Students spent two weeks in Madrid immersed in the local culture. Music students joined local conservatories, participated in master classes with renowned pianists Leonel Morales and Nataliya Trull, played in concerts, and participated in the Maria Herrero International Piano and Violin Competition. Emma Liu ’26 placed second, Victoria Fang ’25 placed third, and Irene Zeng ’26 won an honorable mention at the event. Zheng said, “I felt inspired by my peers, encouraged by our faculty, and especially enlightened by the masterclasses. I was music-drenched, and I loved it.” 

Visual art students practiced plein air painting (painting “in the open air”), immersing themselves in the environment of the city, and visited the Prado Art Museum. Visual Arts student Tessie Connell ’25 said, “This experience helped me adapt and understand changing visual factors like light and perspective and learn how to implement these techniques into my artworks.”