NMGiovannucci, Wikimedia Commons

On Thursday, December 11, the opening reception for Friends Select’s annual Sights on Site art exhibit will take place at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. Numerous student artworks from all three divisions will be on view through December 28. 

Sights on Site is an annual Friends Select tradition, now in its eighth year. Students from all divisions of Friends Select participate by studying specific sites in Philadelphia and using what they observed to create thoughtful artworks to be displayed on site. Sights on Site has taken place at different places, including the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Arch Street Meetinghouse, Reading Terminal Market, PAFA, and more. 

This year, the event will take place at America’s oldest artist club, the Philadelphia Sketch Club. The club has been around since 1860, and is rich in history and creativity. “I thought The Sketch Club would be a great place for Sights on Site, because it has such a rich tradition of connecting Philly artists for hundreds of years,” said Zoë Blatt, Friends Select Art Department Chair. “I knew there would be many different ways the art department could approach projects for this site, such as examining different artists throughout history or looking at contemporary art exhibitions.”

Viewers can expect to see a wide range of works created by Lower, Middle, and Upper School art classes. From oil paintings to glass sculptures, students created a variety of work inspired by their observations at the Sketch Club. The Upper School art classes will be displaying oil paintings, laser-cut crests, 3D handcrafted gargoyles, and drawings. Grade 7 created their own children’s book illustrations, unique to each artist’s personal style. The 4th grade class created drawings and paintings, and the 1st grade class made mixed-media portraits. 

Sights on Site is an important and ongoing tradition, displaying the hard work and talent of Friends Select students. “Sights on Site is such a cool way for students to engage with the city and make art inspired by a direct experience,” stated Zoë. “I love that the program involves all three divisions; it’s always fascinating to see how students at different developmental stages approach the same site.”

If you would like to attend the opening reception, you can RSVP here.