Renaissance club paints art hall in new light

Keagan Mould, Staff Reporter|February 27, 2023

Renaissance club members Isabelle Fisher and Natalie Stiles working on a painting in the art hallway. Photo assisted by Kiara Borges.

Throughout the years, the renaissance club has made many additions to the halls that leave an impact and this year is no different. The Renaissance club is an “Organization to enhance the aesthetic qualities of Carroll,” and they do so by making art pieces for our hallways. Previous examples of their work include the grand staircase tree and the clocks in the freshmen center which I have previously written about here.

This year, the big project is a painting of a wall in the art hallway directly adjacent to the photography room. Painting was chosen as the medium for this project because of the skill of the students in the club and the desire to match the project to their skillsets.

Art teacher Scott Kilmer talks about the project and why he decided to have his students create a mural.

“I often choose the project based on the talent that’s gonna be doing that organization,” said art teacher Scott Kilmer. “I knew I had students this year that were talented enough to do this, and so I kind of saved this particular project for this particular year.”

The location of this painting was chosen because of the connection the art hallway had with the club, as well as the surprising lack of décor surrounding it.

Renaissance club member Natalie Stiles works on the painting. Photo by KJM.

“I wanted to do something in the art wing because we have to, we have nothing down here,” said Kilmer.

As for the contents of the painting, it contains a shadowy figure in a hallway (which looks like an extension of the real hallway) that is filled with famous paintings. These famous paintings were even chosen by the students who painted them, and proved to have their own challenges.

“This painting is hard because it has a lot of dry brushing and it’s hard to get the dry brushing in it without the wall texture. So I’m just going back and forth a million different times, and also the colors we have to work with, that kind of stuff,” said senior member Natalie Stiles. “I see it as like learning how to use a new medium.”

Even with it’s challenges, the club’s members are still enjoying the process and the community formed around this shared interest.
“It’s really relaxing. Like, we’re doing work, but it’s kind of in the element of what we all enjoy, you know,” said Stiles. “So we all just kind of get to come in for a couple hours and just talk and hang out. All of this is something we enjoy doing.”

As for when the piece will be finished, the club plans to be done around spring break. The current progress can be seen in the art hallway.

“Just to be able to enjoy it before we graduate since most people in the club or seniors,” said Stiles. “ I would love to get to like see it running before I leave.”