"Love Letters from an Inverted Cartography" by Terri Saulin
"Love Letters from an Inverted Cartography" by Terri Saulin is on display in Shipley's Speer Gallery from January 3 - 31, 2023.
In the "Shaker" spirit, I imagine a tiny wasp-worker making imaginary homes for important collections of most special memories.”
- Terri Saulin
Saulin’s process begins with cartography. The drawings and sculptures created are a visual "counterpoint" The layered information, produces an imagined, time-lapse view of a world. Inspired by the landscape of her urban garden, drawings become maps that document plant life, fleeting shadows, secreted places where mantis eggs were found, caterpillars ate, and dragonflies landed. They map the cold feeling felt in between the discs of her spine as she laid on her back on a freezing night watching a Perseid Meteor shower.
Intricate ceramic constructions are three-dimensional memory maps. They are invisible cities, liminal urban planning, and love letters to treasured and influential authors, artists, musicians, friends, and family members. A mise en place of ingredients float between surface decoration and building blocks. They are carrots, onions and celery and they are meditations on the thousands of loops her mother made while crocheting piles of blankets, wondering what thoughts may have passed under the weight of each accumulated stitch.
Terri Saulin received her MFA from the University of the Arts and her BFA from Moore College of Art and Design. She is a member and press coordinator for Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia and a Member/Supporter of The Clay Studio, Philadelphia. She currently teaches a variety of Ceramics and Studio Art courses at The Agnes Irwin School, in Rosemont, PA. Terri is the owner of No. 5 Butchie Alley. No. 5 Butchie Alley is an outgrowth of Terri’s studio. The gallery space is secretly tucked away on a small easement in South Philly that opens into a garden of inspiration. No. 5 Butchie Alley offers a new exhibition approximately every two months. The exhibiting artist gathers with the community and shares a workshop during the run of the show.
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.
"How can we use the language of art to explore our feelings and beliefs? What do I care about and how can I bring that idea to life? What do I want to communicate?" These are just a few of the questions that Shipley’s Studio Art 3 Honors students grappled with as they completed their protest art assignments. Learn more about this project and how students discover their voice as artists to speak about something they care about.
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.
This year’s Upper School Spring Musical is Mean Girls, a modern adaptation of the classic movie from 2004. Shipley theater star and Beacon writer Colin Harkins ’23 tells us why audiences should be excited to see the show March 2-4, 2023 in Riely Theatre.
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.
You can see Lower School Art Teacher Bonnie Goldstein's new work in "Beyond Boundaries" an exhibit on display at 705 West Printshop + Gallery in Jenkintown. An opening reception is being held on Sunday, December 4 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm.
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.
When Upper School Art Teacher Tania O’Donnell’s design was selected as the next traffic calming mural in Media, she knew she had to involve her art students in the process.
Congratulations to Director of Choirs, Carlos Casilla, for receiving The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Outstanding Young Conductor Award, which recognizes the efforts of a new or aspiring choral director who, in their first 3 to 5 years of experience has already demonstrated outstanding leadership or musicianship in the field of choral music.
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.
Students in Chris Oatts’ Advanced Music Composition and Production class don’t just learn about the theory and building blocks of writing music. Starting early in the year, the advanced music students compose songs that actually get played by Shipley’s music ensembles. Oatts, an experienced professional musician, knows that “The most fun part of being a composer is actually hearing your music playing.”
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.