All posts by Kate Snyder

Painter Cody Rutty Brings Iterative Abstraction to Williston

Visiting artist Cody Rutty
Visiting artist Cody Rutty

Cody Rutty, an American painter living and working in Boise, Idaho, will be the third visiting artist to spend time at Williston Northampton School as part of the Grum Project, funded by a generous alumna. Rutty will be on campus through April 14, leading classes, working with individual students, and creating a large oil painting that will remain at the school.

After studying architecture and virtual technology and design at the University of Idaho, Rutty pursued fine art with a focus on painting. This focus has led to what he calls iterative abstraction: a process-driven approach to visual art through repeated layering. Continue reading

Williston Prepares for Day of Silence

On April 21, 2017, Williston will take part in a nationally recognized event called Day of Silence. According to GLSEN, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ rights in K-12 schools, Day of Silence is a student-led national event organized in thousands of schools, bringing awareness to the silencing effects of anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTQ behavior by illustrating the silencing effect of bullying and harassment on LGBTQ students and those perceived to be LGBTQ.

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Spirited Message of Inclusion, Belonging Kicks off Why Not Speak? Day

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Photo by Joanna Chattman

Guest Post By Matt Liebowitz

Set aside the descriptors—gay, black, southern, Christian, preacher—and Reverend Erik Taylor Doctor’s message is one of simple and pure inclusion: we are all different, but we all share common bonds.

However, those undeniable identifiers of his character are exactly what brought the Williston community together during his Why Not Speak? Day February 22 assembly, and helped make his message—a sound, sweet one—resonate so strongly.

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Williston Welcomes Three to Food Service Team

Jim Grimaldi, food service director
Jim Grimaldi, Food Service Director

You may have noticed some new faces in the Dining Commons recently. Joining Assistant Food Service Director Chris Couchon is a friendly and experienced new leadership team that will be making sure all our meals and functions on campus are terrific.

Food Service Director Jim Grimaldi has been in management and operations for 33 years, including at Springfield College. He’s an avid cyclist, riding more than 1,100 miles last summer! And he loves pan seared scallops. Can you blame him? Continue reading

Founders Day Challenge: 500 Donations in 24 Hours

founders-2017-video (1)Hold on to your Samuel Williston top hats! This year’s Founders Day is shaping up to be even bigger and better than last year’s: If 500 donors make a gift to the Williston Northampton Fund or Parents’ Fund on February 22, a group of anonymous donors is going to give the school $50,000.

The day, which is a way to honor the founding of Williston Academy by Samuel and Emily Williston, as well as the Northampton School for Girls by Sarah Whitaker and Dorothy Bement, kicked off last year to celebrate the school’s 175th anniversary.

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