Trinity Arts Experience Inspires High School Visitors

High school juniors and seniors had the opportunity to experience Trinity through the lens of the arts on November 13 and 14. The Trinity Arts Experience has become an annual event during which high school students who plan to study art, theater, or music can learn more about their specific areas of interest.

Students came from several different high schools. They joined in the Thursday night worship with current Trinity students and roomed with student hosts. The event also included trips to Chicago art galleries, design studios, theaters, and musical performances. Through these experiences, prospective students experienced the rich cultural and professional opportunities Trinity’s proximity to Chicago offers.

Visitors also toured the campus and had an opportunity to share their portfolios and to audition for scholarship awards.

John Bakker, professor of art, accompanied students interested in art and design to Cultivate Studios and the gallery district in Chicago. He said that a Trinity education is raising students’ awareness of what a career in the art world looks like and “getting them so close to it, they can touch it.”

Bakker explained that the arts experience serves as an early introduction to that awareness for high school students. “We help define what success is and introduce students to significant parts of the art and design world.”

Carl Sandburg High School senior Megan Cleary said the highlights of her visit included staying up late talking with her Trinity host, seeing art in Chicago with Bakker, and talking with professional designers and photographers at Cultivate Studios.

“I loved hearing from Chris Pierik ’01 and Mark Wierda ’03 at Cultivate, and another person gave me some great advice about opportunities in photography,” said Cleary. “This was such a great experience.”

Current Trinity students helped with guiding, hosting, and accompanying the high school visitors during the event.

“I enjoyed this visit day especially, because I was able to connect with students who are interested in things that I also love and have participated in, like choir,” said Hannah Limback ’17 of Lansing, Illinois. “This visit day was a very practical way to show what life is like for a Trinity student. My sister absolutely loved participating.”

Megan Hanafee-Major ’16 of New Richmond, Wisconsin, worked with students interested in theater. They enjoyed dinner with the cast of Richard III, watched a dress rehearsal of the play, and visited with theater majors. The following day, students met Bridget Earnshaw ’12, marketing coordinator at Theatre in the Center in Munster, Indiana.

“Talking with Bridget, students were able to see how pursuing theatre as their major or minor or even interest can have ‘real life’ benefits. That’s really encouraging to students,” said Hanafee-Major. “They could picture themselves attending a rehearsal like the one they saw, then they could see themselves benefiting from that experience in professional life after college like Bridget has.”