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Visual Arts

AP Design Work

Memory Project

When Katie Fox ’18 first heard about the Memory Project, she immediately thought it would be a great way to combine her love of art with her dedication to service. With Ursuline’s motto of “Serviam” in mind, she was intrigued to learn about this non-profit that invites art students to create and donate portraits of youth around the world who live with substantial challenges. The portraits are intended to help the children feel valued and important, and provide a meaningful piece of personal history for them. Besides the benefit to the children, it offers a way for student artists to use their unique talents to practice kindness and global awareness in a very personal way.

National Art Honor Society

The National Art Honor Society provides national recognition for students who exhibit outstanding scholarship in the visual arts. The opportunity to apply for membership in NAHS is offered to students based on their performance in Visual Arts classes and clubs.

At Ursuline, NAHS plans community art collaborations which have included the “Timeline of Black Excellence” in partnership with the Racial Justice Club, and “Chalk it Up” with the wider school community. Members receive certificates and pins to mark their inclusion in this national organization. They also receive recognition within the school, leadership growth opportunities, and the chance to work on fun projects with a group of similarly interested peers.

Black History Month

This past year during Black History Month, the Racial Justice Club worked with Campus Ministry and the National Art Honor Society to bring a unique look into prominent Black figures who epitomize Black joy. Each student selected an individual from a diverse range of professions and time periods, including some prominent Catholic figures from the 19th century to artists and musicians from present day. This initiative spanned the length of Black History Month, and brought the story of these important figures to the Ursuline community culminating in a beautiful display in our art gallery in Angela Hall.

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL

“The goal of this collaboration between the Racial Justice Club and The National Art Honor Society was mainly to educate the Ursuline community and expose more people to the concept of black joy. Black History Month is a time to learn about and appreciate the beauty of black culture and we wanted to do that with this art piece. It gave students the chance to learn more about some of the impactful members of the Black community—young and old, that they may not have known about before. We hope that you are as impressed with the work of our community as we are.”

— The Racial Justice Club

There are currently three million Black Catholics in the United States, and about a quarter worship in historically black parishes. After the Second Vatican Council, the Black Catholic Movement reinvigorated the entire Church, with liturgical innovation, new preaching styles and activist scholarship. As part of the Racial Justice Club and Campus Ministry’s efforts to educate the Ursuline community about a wide range of major Black figures, students learned about the unique contributions of six major Black figures in Catholicism who are on the path to sainthood.