It was about 4:30 p.m. on March 12, 2020, and the teachers of SASD Art Department and the students from the SASHS Art Honor Society were gathered in the high school’s art wing. In just 30 minutes, at 5:00, the doors would open for Artrageous, the annual district-wide art show. Hundreds of visitors- students, teachers, parents, and grandparents and more, were expected to stream into the building to see the exhibit. Student demonstrations, children’s activities, and live music were all planned and ready-to-go. Hundreds more visitors were expected later in the evening to experience the SASHS Drama Club’s production of “Into The Woods.” It was just then that Mrs. Luffy, the high school principal, arrived in Art Computer Lab 111 where Mr. Chris Martin was printing out a few last-minute signs.
Looking up quickly and then back to his work, Mr. Martin joked, “if you’re telling us we’re shutting down, I’m going to be upset.” When Mrs. Luffy didn’t respond, he looked up to see a stricken expression on her face. A few minutes later, the principal met with all of the art teachers and the Art Honor Society students to relate that the Department of Health had directed the shutdown of events like Artrageous. Exiting the art wing, Mrs. Luffy’s next stop was backstage to tell the Drama Club that their production was derailed on opening night. No one envied the task before her.
With everyone in shock, the art department came to a standstill. The faculty members regrouped and ordered pizza and the teachers and students came together over a sad dinner in the art room. Students talked about their concerns and questions and their teachers had little real comfort and few answers to offer. By 7:00 p.m. everyone had gone and the art rooms were dark. The next day, March 13, 2020, school was shut down statewide. Shippensburg students wouldn’t return to the classroom for nearly a year.
During that time, many families experienced a world that hadn’t been seen in 100 years. Some experienced profound loss. Some experienced financial hardship. All experienced a sense of dread and powerlessness. Masks and quarantine became commonplace. Zoom calls and Facetime replaced in-person meetings with friends and family. School took on a whole new form.
With the global pandemic still going strong in March 2021, students have returned to very different classrooms. Many are still online, working from home. Those in the building are masked and observe social distancing. Strict seating and cleaning protocols are in place. Shared supplies, equipment, and tools are not viable options under current conditions. Still, students at all levels are working. For the second year in a row, Artrageous has been cancelled, but hopeful things are happening. In honor of Youth Art Month, The SHAPE Gallery on King Street is hosting a small show of selected works by SASD student artists. And art work, created both at home and at school, is starting to flow. Students and teachers are becoming accustomed to the “new normal.” It isn’t what anyone wants yet, but the students and faculty keep pushing forward. In this Spring, we can begin to see warmer, better days ahead.
Be safe SASD, with your help, good times are coming!
-The Faculty of the SASD Art Department