MFA Graduation!

On May 9, 2014, I graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree. 

photo: Alma Selimovic

Earlier that day I attended the awards ceremony where I was honored, delighted, and deeply touched to receive the MFA Faculty Award. The prize description reads:

The MFA Faculty Award is to be presented yearly to the student who, in the estimation of the MFA Faculty, has made a major contribution to the graduating class on the basis of the exceptionally high quality of his/ her work throughout the graduate career and who has exerted a positive influence over his/ her fellow students. First awarded in 2002.

A week earlier, when it was announced I was this year's recipient, I was completely taken by surprise, almost floored.  I had to brush away some sneaky ninja tears and take a few deep breaths. There were so many highly qualified students to choose from that I never even gave the possibility a thought! I am truly honored, and grateful for this encouraging vote of confidence from my faculty, whom I hold in the highest regard. I need to live up to it, going forward.

photo courtesy PAFA

Here's my entire MFA class, assembled on the grand stairway in the historic landmark building, one of the most beautiful buildings on earth. Nice place to be "from."

I'm embarrassed but delighted too. photo: Mike Manley

So, May 9th was also my birthday. When I got up to make a speech at some point in the graduation ceremonies, the Dean of the school, Jeff Carr, stopped me before I reached the podium and led everyone present in a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday!" What a moment. I was intensely embarrassed but it was also pretty cool to have hundreds of people singing Happy Birthday to me...can't image anything like that will ever happen again! Bizarrely cool thing to happen. Thank you Jeff Carr! 

Nancy Bea Miller, David Brigham, Jane Golden, Al Gury
photo: Darian Downs

I love this quick shot taken by my mother-in-law showing me, PAFA president David Brigham, Commencement Speaker Jane Golden (oh my god she was such a great speaker!) and PAFA Painting Department Chair Al Gury, right after the ceremony ended. It kind of makes up for the fact that I don't have a photo of my receiving the diploma or posed afterwards with my diploma. Not only was the official PAFA commencement photographer shooting at a weird angle (up and from the side?) but in addition he caught a transition movement in my face where it looks like I am wincing, eyes closed and mouth a grimacing rictus. On my way to or from a happy smile but not there. So, no, not going use that one! And my family and I didn't think to take the usual post graduation diploma and big grin shot though, I guess, though I do remember some photos being taken somewhere by someone....but NBD!

Amanda Mason and Maisie Moseley, twice, and me at the reception.
photo: Rick Moseley

I in fact took lots of shots of the day, and night, recording the event through my own eyes (yay camera phones!) and I posted the best of them to Facebook. If you want to see happy people and acres of art just go to this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203543328921337.1073741868.1158066233&type=1&l=8ecfb41c7b

So, now I am a Master of Fine Arts. I wish my Mom had lived to see it. She had the only other Master's Degree in our immediate family and she would have been so proud of me, following in her academic footsteps. Many thanks and love to all who helped me achieve this! And I promise to use my powers only for good. ;-)

The Lord, the Almighty: Henry Downs

Thus saith Henry...

It was incredible.

Last weekend was Henry's graduation from the 12th grade program at Camphill Special School. (He will be continuing his schooling there for a further three years in the Transition Program so we are not completely through with Camphill yet, thank goodness!) We were told that graduation would have three parts; a class play, a celebratory luncheon, and a graduation ceremony. I somehow did not realize how complex and how long the whole event would be, and I would never have expected that Henry could take quite such a sustained and integral part in it if I had. I am filled with awe and gratitude.

Anna and Henry display heretofore unsuspected acting talent!

The play was a full two hours long, a full-scale production of Goethe's Faust, modernized by Henry's classroom teacher Andreas Schuske. It involved speeches and singing and dancing and dialogue and a kind of poetic "movement art" called eurythmy. The performance was so long, and with so many scene changes that there had to be an intermission to give everyone a break. But wow...I can't express how intense, serious and joyful it was.  Immensely cathartic, which I suppose was the point. Did I mention already that Henry played the part of The Lord, the Almighty? Oh, I did? Well, I can't help being astonished. And proud. And humbled. He did an incredible job. Who would ever have thought such a thing possible? The folks at Camphill, obviously.

Hearken unto me... 

Then came the massive luncheon in a huge fancy tent, with tablecloths and silverware nice enough for a wedding. Henry waited patiently, eyeing the long buffet groaning with delectable home-made foods. A few speeches and then came the all clear for the meal to commence. It was a joyfull feast!

After an long and intense performance followed by such a huge and resplendent meal, a few hours of rest were in order. Then came the graduation ceremony itself. It was a moving and complex ceremony, one that lasted two and half hours! Henry processed with his class, sat in his chair listening to speeches, stood to participate in various ceremonies, presented his first teacher with a rose, accepted a gift and tribute from his house parents, waited patiently through to the end and then recessed with dignity. Two and half hours. I could almost not believe it was possible. Except that's what my watch (and my numb behind) told me.

Andreas gave us a full Waldorf Lesson on the history of this graduating class!

The handshake and diploma moment

Henry's incredibly wonderful Housemother Anna Schmidt reads a poem in his honor

The family, proud but a tad limp at the end of a very long day!

What was especially astonishing to me was how this entire day embodied the Camphill philosophy that these special children be treated with respectful expectations of what they can do. HIGH expectations that is! It is amazing how often people of all kinds will obediently fulfill our ideas of how they will act. I am deeply grateful to Henry's teachers, houseparents, helpers and the entire Camphill community for holding fast to their principles and showing us what is possible.

Henry sporting his graduation hat...very cool!

Henry is going to miss his roommate, who is still a junior. They really were good for each other. Hats off to Camphill!

Peter's High School Graduation

Waiting to process

The actual moment

Everyone looks so happy!

Jubilation at the close of the ceremony!

The graduate and his proud family

Family After-Party...three generations of Downs men

Sports Awards!

Okay, brag alert! Stop reading now if you've had enough proud parent posts to last you a bit. ;-)

Last night was Peter's Sports Award Banquet at his high school. As a graduating senior and captain of the X-C team as well as a state-qualifier we knew he was going to receive a commendation.

But we were absolutely taken by surprise when Peter won a scholarship  in addition to the award we expected!

We are all so proud of him (younger brother hamming it up with his illustrious bro!)

We raced a big thunderstorm home after the ceremonies.

Peter paying tribute to the Gods of Thunder! :-)

Henry's Senior Service Project!

Henry's 12th grade class at Camphill Special School made a path to the creek for the whole school to enjoy. They really worked hard! Henry is a good man with a wheelbarrow.

Henry and his classroom teacher, the energetic Andreas S! Henry used to be shorter than Andreas not long ago...

Proud moms: my friend Carol L and me.

Bell-ringing during one of the celebratory group songs (not Hen's passion obviously!)

Henry and his good friend Sami!

They are so sweet together! He is really going to miss her next year!

"Little" brother Hugh is almost as tall as big brother Henry!

Henry, so glad and proud! Great work sweetie!

Cupcake Social

Netta with Cupcake

There is a seemingly never-ending barrage of social and instructive events for us students at PAFA. There are so many opportunities and offerings that  I am almost finding it a bit distracting. But it's all very fun, tempting stuff, like today's Cupcake Social at 4 pm. Hundreds of cupcakes, scores of toppings to customize them, and gallons and gallons of strong coffee. End of day bliss! Could I have squeezed in an extra hour of painting instead of consuming empty calories and socializing? Yes! But it was darn fun.