by Anne Walker, Art Department Chairperson and acclaimed painter in her own right
It’s that time of year for NDP’s BEST ASSEMBLY OF THE YEAR: Project Greenway, to be held Wednesday, February 11!
Get excited to experience the National Art Honor Society’s environmentally conscious haute couture runway show replete with high-stepping models, trending music, up and coming designers, and our own panel of celebrity judges! This, our fourth annual show, is guaranteed to entertain and amaze you. Ally Goucher and Caroline Yanson, freshman Exploring Art students, who experienced Project Greenway for the past three years, agree, “It is one of my favorite assemblies! I like the judges and the dresses!” Seeing this assembly for the first time as a freshman, Erin Sprurrier, now a junior, thought, “That’s going to me!” and this year she has a dress in the show!
Students work countless hours to design, engineer and assemble their creations, beginning early in October each year and frantically finishing up by the week after mid-term exams. That weekend, when most students breathe a collective sigh of relief, because they don’t have any homework? Project Greenway designers are working non-stop to complete their high fashion achievements made from humble materials such as computer parts, repurposed denim fabric, newspaper, Capri Sun pouches, candy wrappers, a Lily bag, bottle caps, Solo cups, Chipotle bags, and the list continues. I cannot wait to see the innovative materials and mechanical feats that appear at this year’s show!
The winning dresses over the past three years have ranged from newspaper and soda can tabs comprised cocktail dress with a hot pink duct tape belt, to a high-low cardboard and bubble wrap peacock inspired gown, to an ode to the darkroom sassy skirt and top made from photo prints and film with a doily peter pan collar. A few students are entering for their third year in a row, including last year’s winning designer Nadia Creve-Couer ’15, Nicoletta Minutella ’15, and Julianna Perella ’16. Our Project Greenway leader, Edina Hiser ’15, has designed dresses for all four fashion shows! Her designs range from a Capri Sun, coffee filter, and grocery store bag recycled dress, to a game-inspired skirt and top made from playing cards.
“Project Greenway for me is an escape from the traditional square boring box everyone is expected to be and a way to showcase our hidden talents to the NDP community,” says Julianna Perrella. “Since this is my third year of doing Project Greenway, I have learned of my capabilities and strengths as a fashion designer while creating my masterpieces of wearable art. It is not just a dress or garment to me but my pride and joy that’s being shown on the runway for everyone to see. ”
The organizing committee, which includes team leader Hiser, Casey Lowe ’15, Ally Zidwick ’15, Hannah Imhoff ’16(NAHS VP), Elyssa Ferguson ’16, Quinn Bailey ’16, and Colleen Franke ’16, has been making plans, selecting designs, meeting with designers, designing the stage, and planning the program down to every last detail since early September. Our script writers, Bauerle (NAHS Gallery Director), Morgan Peck ’16 (NAHS Treasurer), and Caroline Walker ’15 (NAHS President) have their creative juices flowing as they write the lines sure to have you laughing.
