The students who apply every term are disciplined. They have time management and independence that they channel in a way that is unmatched compared to other programs at Hill. Mrs. Lim says, “Whereas in the classroom, where teachers can see your progress, You have to be disciplined enough to get yourself in a daily practice; I know I’m struggling in this area right now, and that I need to overcome that.”
She wasn’t the only one who advocated for the students’ drive. Every overseeing faculty member that I spoke to about afternoon arts spoke about the same thing: needing the skillset and dedication to stay focused. This is why it is not an option to join afternoon arts after being cut from a sport or not receiving the role you wanted in the theater production. Mrs. Neiswender, Instrumental music director and afternoon arts application evaluator speaks well on the dedicated artists in the program: “They are driven by their own desire to be a better musician…they want to make sure that there is a space in their day that they can explore their craft and get better at it.”
Art instructor Mrs. Nelson explained to me how the afternoon arts program began only about 15 years ago, after coeducation at Hill. She emphasized the importance that the addition of the space held for advanced artists at Hill to develop their craft daily like athletes train daily for their sport. “This idea that you can do something in the arts that’s not athletic is relatively new…there were times in the history of The Hill School where you’d go out to the field and had no other option.”
Current afternoon arts student Claire Bressi ‘26 spoke about the space afternoon arts has been for passionate artists like her, but also how having a lack of interest can keep others from the opportunity: “I’m currently having a ton of fun with the five of us doing it this fall, but I know that not many students are aware it’s even an opportunity. Due to this, entire terms have been cut in the past due to lack of interest. All artists who are passionate about their craft, no matter the skill level, should invest some time in talking to Mrs. Lim if they are curious about doing afternoon arts.” Mrs. Lim mentioned this as well: “[Having] 2 or 3 students is too small to run.”
It would be nice to have a space for beginner artists to have a creative outlet after school. In a perfect world, there would be enough instructors to teach arts during the afternoons. Mrs. Lim agrees: “But right now, with the current staffing, I don’t know how that’s possible.” She expanded that there have and could be many student-run spaces for effective group practice and instruction, but afternoon arts is ultimately not the place for that – it is a sacred space for dedicated artists to develop amazing projects on their own.