The ACA art exhibition, which featured pieces that explored culture, memory, and identity, transformed the Underwood Room lobby into a celebration of student creativity. The event, which was co-organized by Penelope Tong ’26 and Jeanne Kosciusko-Morizet ’26, brought together artists from various grades and provided an occasion for them to display their talents and share stories through their pieces.
Jeanne Kosciusko-Morizet ’26, one of the co-heads of the ACA, noted the dedication and behind-the-scenes work that went into making the exhibition possible. From the start of the school year, she and Penelope Tong ’26 guided students in developing their own artistic projects, while also managing the logistics of the event. The pair coordinated submissions and arranged catering and publicity. As she considered the outcome, Kosciusko-Morizet lauded the artists who took part in the event.
“Penelope and I, since the start of the year, we’ve been helping students to build their own artistic projects given this exhibition. [We] did everything that had to do with catering and setting up the exhibition, collecting people’s works, advertising the exhibition, etc. I’m very proud of all the artists who submitted. I really thought that everyone deserved something because I really liked all the work,” said Kosciusko-Morizet.
Mayumi Kawano ’25 attended the exhibition and was amazed by the depth and caliber of the work on display. She noted pieces by Sean Choi ’27 as her favorites because of their remarkable realism. For Kawano, the exhibition was an opportunity for student artists to share their work with a larger audience and receive recognition for their time, effort, and creative expression.
“Sean Choi’s [pieces] definitely stood out to me. He has a real talent for being able to capture facial expressions through his artwork. Everyone’s pieces showed the time and energy they put into their creations. I’m very glad that they got to have a moment to share their talent with the world and have people see it and appreciate it,” said Kawano
Exhibition winner Choi created a series of paintings that depict both traditional tales and personal recollections by pulling inspiration from his South Korean heritage and his close relationship with his grandmother. Choi wanted audiences to understand that art can be a powerful storytelling tool and encourage others to explore their creativity.
“[My artwork] was centered around my culture—specifically [South] Korea—and my relationship with my grandma. Sometimes, I would call my grandma to learn more about some of the stories. I hope that people will take away that art can be a medium of storytelling and also inspire them to use art to tell their stories,” said Choi.
According to Kosciusko-Morizet, the best part of the process was watching the exhibit come to life. Seeing students proudly displaying their work, many with friends and family in attendance, served as an important reminder of the time and energy that each artist had invested in their creations.
“It was just so rewarding to see all the students at the exhibition with their works, and also the fact that a lot of students actually brought in friends from outside of school. They also brought in some family members, and it was just great to see because everyone had put in so much work, and everyone was really happy to be here and grateful that they could do what they did,” said Kosciusko-Morizet.
Editor’s Note: Jeanne Kosciusko-Morizet ’26 is a current News Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXLVIII.
