DECEMBER 22, 2023

Upper School visual artists recently journeyed to Midtown West to visit professional artist Jorge Tacla’s studio. There, students witnessed the artistic processes and design of a functional workspace. They saw the wall where Mr. Tacla hung his paintings and marked off the corners of each piece so that it hung in the same spot. They saw the genesis of paintings based on photographs, the process of enlargement, and using cold wax technique. This technique provides body, transparency and depth to the oil paint. Students in both photography and painting saw a real-life application of the skills they are learning in class and discussed breaking into the business of art. As students in painting are currently working on a variety of subject matter, students could make connections to his work. Many US students have begun to submit art portfolios for college and the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards, and this trip provided an opportunity for them to discuss careers in the arts and to hear about the importance of making and maintaining connections with fellow artists.

“Witnessing a studio space is like seeing the missing link between making art in the classroom and seeing it hanging on the walls of a gallery. Working artist's studios are like the office spaces of the finance world and the lab of scientists,” US Art Faculty Kate Bernardoni explained. “Seeing a studio space is critical for them to be able to visualize the trajectory of a career in visual arts. It also shows how once you leave the classroom you have true ownership of your content and its dissemination.”