Elizabeth Rugutt

I’m a laid-back, easy-going person. So when it comes to art, it makes sense that loose, sketchy drawings are what I love. Of course, in AP Drawing—probably my favorite class here—we did all kinds of projects. We did still life in various media, portraits, line studies; we used pencil, pen and ink, paint, even sharpies. And although the quick charcoal sketches were definitely my preference, I liked how the class encouraged me to explore.

 

That class was in the new art building, the Rhodes Arts Center, which is fantastic. First of all, it’s huge. There’s a floor dedicated to each discipline and even a gallery, which creates all kinds of opportunities for us, as well as for visiting professional artists, to show work. The walls and floors are made from recycled materials and there’s just this spacious, fresh feeling. When you go in there, you immediately want to make art.

 

The extraordinary thing is that though the building was specifically designed for things like theater and music, it somehow exemplifies the school as a whole. It unlocks you and frees you to create. That’s what I’ve learned at NMH—to take what they teach me and add my own style.

 

When I take people on campus tours, the one spot they all stop at and say, “Ooh!” is right behind the chapel. It’s a lovely vista with the hilly valley and the mountains all around. Everything seems so clear there. You’re at Northfield Mount Hermon and the world is opening in front of you.