Exhibition Description: "I create landscape photographs from small objects. Many of the photographs are images of ceramic objects I created, pieces where I experiment with texture, color, and glaze. I then photograph the objects with a macro lens and create abstract photographs which read as landscapes. These photographs transform small parts of objects into worlds that appear to exist in a totally different scale. The place where edges of clay meet may become a sunset; a particular area of glaze on a slab turns into a coastline, seen from above. At times I use water, soap, or other surface treatments to enhance the objects I photograph. The images have an ethereal quality and impart a sense of mystery. The viewer is left to wonder where these landscapes are, and if they exist in a real or imagined world."
Artist's Biography: Mia Rosenblatt Tinkjian received her MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and her JD from Boston College Law School. She is an interdisciplinary artist who enjoys using playing with a variety of materials. In her abstract photographs, she uses clay to create surfaces and to experiment with glazes. She photographs these surfaces in a way that challenges one's understanding of perspective, medium, and scale. The resulting large-scale photographs are giclee printed on matte, textured paper so that they blur the line between photography, painting, and drawing. After having children, Mia found that she spent a great deal of time playing with puzzles. The tools of childhood play soon became the material of her own artwork. In the puzzle pieces, Mia rearranges and recombines commercially produced jigsaw puzzles to create new images which form a commentary on their own visual content.
For over 20 years, Shipley’s partnership with alumna Paige West ’86 and the West Collection has brought world-class contemporary art to the Speer Gallery, inspiring students to think boldly and engage with real-world ideas.
Shipley’s Speer Gallery, led by art teacher Julia Staples, is a vibrant hub for learning and connection, showcasing thought-provoking exhibits that spark conversation and inspire collaboration across subjects like History, Science, and English.
The Upper School Honors Jazz Combo, directed by saxophonist Chris Oatts, is Shipley's premier music ensemble and reflects Shipley's dedication to excellence in the arts. The group continually impresses audiences and serves as a pinnacle experience in Shipley's musical learning community.
Discover how our theater program nurtures student voice, confidence, and leadership. From sixth grade silliness to Upper School self-awareness, our students learn to express themselves with empathy and creativity, embodying our mission of compassionate participation.
Discover how Shipley School's music program nurtures young musicians from Lower to Upper School, fostering confidence, creativity, and collaboration. Learn how students find their musical voice and achieve professional-level performance through this comprehensive education.
Ozzie Jones earned a Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Outdoor Production, showcasing his transformative journey and key role in Theater in the X's acclaimed "Dreamgirls."
Phillip Brown, Upper School Theater Director at Shipley, considers his portrayal of Jay Jackson in Lantern Theater Company's "The Royale" to be the role of a lifetime.The play was nominated for seven Barrymore Awards, including Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, with Phillip himself nominated for Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play.
Contour line drawing is more than a classroom exercise, it demands unwavering concentration, forging connections between the artist and their subject, creating a unique interplay between the pen and paper. A poignant reminder that art isn't merely about what we see; it's about how we see it and the stories we can convey through the lines we draw.
Explore the world of renowned artist Rory MacArthur at The Speer Gallery in a mesmerizing exhibition on loan from the West Collection. Discover MacArthur's journey into glyphs and abstraction, where he crafts perfect glyph-like objects using color, shape, surface, and form in an age inundated with symbols.
In an effort enrich Shipley’s Theater Arts Program, significant changes are underway, touching every aspect of the program—from personnel to scheduling. Learn more about the exciting changes underway in Shipley's Theater Arts.
The Shipley Honors Combo won first place in the Small Ensemble Division 2 category at the National Jazz Festival, held April 22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Trumpeter Aidan Peterson ‘24 won an Outstanding Musician Award and also earned the Judge’s Choice Award.
Shipley’s Lower School music program offers a one-of-a-kind musical education to its young learners, culminating in an authentic music ensemble experience. In fourth grade, students can learn to play three different instruments. The long-term benefits and goals of the program are many, extending beyond the classroom and into the lives of students and their families.
Shipley’s theater program is excited to announce that it will partner with Broadway Green Alliance, a corporation that tries to bring more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into theaters all around the country. Read more in this article originally published in the Beacon student newspaper.
After rigorous auditions, five Shipley musicians have been accepted into auditioned choral and band ensembles including the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 11 Chorus, the American Choral Directors Association National Honors Choir, and the Philadelphia Youth Symphonic Band.
View a performance of the Lunar New Year Overture by Shipley's Chamber Orchestra, in an arrangement by Richard Liu ’25 and Bambi Tang ’23, and conducted by Mr. Jhonnatan Mata. The performance was organized by the Asian Student Alliance and the Chamber Orchestra in celebration of Lantern Festival, or the end of Lunar New Year.
Catch Theater Director Phillip Brown as he stars in the Lantern Theater Company’s Philadelphia premiere production of The Royale by Marco Ramirez, onstage through December 11, 2022, at St. Stephen’s Theater.
In April 2022, artist Peter Makela ’04 will travel to Nepal as a Fulbright Scholar. He’ll spend 10 months in the Kathmandu Valley pursuing his project, “The Radiant Emptiness of Space: Madhyamaka and Contemplative Perception,” while studying Madhyamaka philosophy at Rangjung Yeshe University, the world’s preeminent English-speaking Buddhist university. Learn more about Makela and his work.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.