Middle School art students demonstrated creativity and attention to detail in the Getty Challenge: to find a painting they liked from a museum and use items in their home to recreate it. 

“This assignment allows the boys to discover a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the artist through research and the creative process by re-creating the image. The boys also learned how to be resourceful and stretch their imagination by using found and household objects to upcycle for another purpose,” Middle School Art Teacher Jared Miller said.  

Henry ’28 worked with his mother to recreate a 1660 self-portrait by Rembrandt. 

“The painting was really cool. Your self-portrait isn’t just about you, it’s also about how you perceive yourself. That’s why I chose that,” he explained.  

James ’29 worked with his aunt to finally settle on recreating “The Old Guitarist,” an oil painting by Pablo Picasso. 

“I saw he had a guitar, and I thought my violin would make a good substitute for it, since I didn’t have a guitar,” he said.  

Even though he chose a well-known piece, James said he learned about many artists during the process. 

“When I was searching, I found a lot of paintings I wouldn’t have seen. The assignment really did introduce me to a bunch of new artists,” James added.  

“I was blown away,” Miller said. “When I opened the emails, I was so excited every day to see what they were turning in. To see what paintings spoke to them, how students expressed themselves, and how excited they were about the assignment was heartwarming."