Photography by Jill Johnson
The Canopy Gallery at Hopwood Hall opened the 2024-2025 school year with Pipe Up, an exhibition featuring over 40 artworks in watercolor, monoprints, mixed-media collage, and sculpture by guest artist George Woollard. Visual and Digital Arts Program Head Jill Johnson curated the show, collaborating closely with Woollard to select pieces for the gallery.
“The Guest Artist Program enriches our curriculum by bringing professional artists like George Woollard directly to campus, offering students a unique opportunity to engage deeply with art beyond traditional classroom resources,” Jill shares. “Curating George’s exhibit was a collaborative effort, ensuring the work resonated with students from preschool through 12th grade. The installation invited students to explore the interconnectedness of different media, fostering creative exploration and inspiring them to view art as a blend of ideas and techniques.”
“Pipe Up is a reference to the need to be heard and also to the musicality of the artwork. All materials and processes have a certain truth to them. It is my job to orchestrate and direct them, but not to change their nature. In the end, the work only rings true when I have integrated myself into the composition,” Mr. Woollard shares in the show notes. “It takes time to find just the right balance.”
The Pipe Up exhibit and Mr. Woollard’s student workshops were made possible through a generous grant from the Cades Foundation, which supports the expansion of Mid-Pacific’s guest artist program across all arts disciplines, including dance, theatre, music, digital/visual arts, and hula.
“I think my experience was very eye opening. I think he gave me a new perspective on art. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and his abstract style forced me to let go, which helped me. It was really interesting seeing his process.” —A.J.
“One of the things that he said was, ‘Beautiful is a good word for my art. I like beautiful things, and some people think art should be ugly, but I think beautiful art is my favorite.’And that really just resonated with me. Because for a long time, I always thought I should make art because I need to, or it’s like something I need to do because it’s an assignment, or I have to get it done, or just part of the process. He taught us that the process is what is beautiful about art, and that the outcome is important too, but it’s really enjoying what you’re doing.” —Gianna
“I attended three different classes with him and each time I got something different out of it. He has a style that is different from my own. It was very insightful to see a professional artist who has a unique style that is abstract and one that I don’t necessarily understand. But getting the opportunity to have him visit us and teach us helped me understand it more.” —Katelyn
“This is a really meaningful opportunity for all of us, because when you see artwork, you just understand their message through the words, the text in the description. By interacting with the artist face to face, I can learn their perspective and the meaning of their art. —Yumi
“I learned, in general, how to incorporate emotion and abstraction into my work that I had never really thought of doing before. To emphasize painting with your feelings… it allows for more depth in the piece, which is nice, and I’ve been trying to incorporate that into some of my own pieces.” —Jacob
“I attended the guest artist talk and what I found interesting was when he was talking about branding yourself. A lot of young artists focus on looking at other artists for inspiration. They don’t focus on their own art. He said that your style is who you are, something you find.” —Nikki
“It was very interesting to me how expressive he was with his colors and how he didn’t really stay in the shape. He let his image flow out into the canvas. I am more focused on photography. I haven’t really gotten into much watercolor, but I’ve started to do a little bit more.” —Bailey
“The artist talk was a nice experience because I don’t use watercolor as much, so it was nice to see his artwork and then get to know him better and learn how he makes his artwork, his process, and how he thinks when he draws and paints. So it was nice to see his perspective and his intentions with watercolor.” —Lani