Be A Star

“One of the strengths of The Summit is in the arts,” says Paula Bien Yarnell ‘65, Middle School Art Teacher and Campus Day Coordinator. Campus Day at The Summit

Country Day School is a Summit—and Cincinnati—institution. It has been around for a long time. When Mrs. Yarnell started teaching here, every teacher had to coach a team. Instead of coaching, which she wasn’t too excited abut, she proposed a professional art show for Summit
students. Former Headmaster Mr. Edward Tyrrell, agreed, and the rest is history.

Mrs. Yarnell originally modeled the art show on The Summit Showcase of the Arts, a show for professional artists, around for many years and an important Cincinnati event. For the first few years, she called The Summit student art exhibit the Mini Showcase of the Arts, to be part of Campus Day. Students, parents and people from all over the city were invited to come and view the art. Now, since the Showcase of the Arts ended, it is simply known as the “Campus Day” and has developed a life of its own.

Campus Day was the first professional local art show involving pre-college students. The exhibit has had well-regarded judges — Robert Fabe, Jack Meanwell, Larry Zink, Jan Brown Checco — to name just a few. Campus Day offers an opportunity for Summit students to have professional artists, as well as other students, their parents and friends, respond to their work and to win ribbons.

Every Summit student in grades 1 through 12 has at least one piece of art in the show. The students, along with their art teachers, choose the representative piece.

Campus Day is a learning experience on many levels. Students learn to compete, to deal with responses to their work, and learn how to be an artist in an art show For example, there is a portfolio division for Upper School students, which they will need in the future if they choose to be professional artists or to go into an art field.

“Don’t just wish upon a star. Be one.” That was the theme of this year’s Campus Day on May 7.

“We give out many Honorable Mention ribbons, as well as those for first, second and third place,” says Mrs. Yarnell.

Though Lower School students’ artwork is displayed for all to see, only Middle School and Upper School students receive ribbons.

Each year a program for the Campus Day Art Exhibit names the first, second, third place and honorable mention ribbon winners from each grade, along with the names of their teachers. For the Upper School, names of winners in various categories, such as Graphic Design, Drawing and Painting and Photography, appear in the program. Most years Summit students design the program cover.

Here at The Summit, students’ artwork is in hallways, stairways, offices and classrooms. When students depart, they leave a little piece of themselves. All graduating seniors are required to leave one piece of their art from the Campus Day exhibit here at the school. That piece is framed and hung.

Yarnell loves The Summit and loves teaching here. She was a student here and she felt The Summit had given her so much that she wanted to give something back.

“Artists are made, not born,” she says. She feels she is in the business of making artists, as
well as giving some experience to those destined to be non-artists. The Campus Day Art Exhibit is an important part of that experience.