You hear the shutter of a camera as you pass the Schoolhouse and peer through the door as another flash of light flickers out of a camera. A group of art students photograph the scene of students sitting an awkward six feet apart from each other, trying to work together. For the past few weeks, this has been happening all over the Circle. Adapting to the new social distancing measures Groton has put in place, the on-campus art programs still thrive, cultivating student interest in new and old activities. Though the campus looks different, and the once-common sight of clustering people now rare, efforts to continue art exploration have not died down.

Theater

The Campbell Performing Arts Center, a community gathering space, has taken on a new façade. Glowing when lights are off, orange tape marks seats six feet apart from each other. Laurie Sales, director of fall play “The Wolves,” talks about how social distancing and safety precautions change the dynamic of the theater: “Putting six feet around people changes your impulse; you know, performing in masks is really hard.” Though physical interaction among characters may seem like an essential part of theater, the department chose this specific play to work around this road block. It works in such a way that some parts will be offered for students, faculty, and families to watch virtually. Watch out for the final showcase at the end of fall term!

Ukulele Club

Introduced to the student body through a brightly colored all-community email, the Ukulele Club has marked their presence on campus. Within the seven-member club, co-head Creed Bellamy says members have been learning new strumming patterns, experimenting, and playing their ukuleles together: “New social distancing rules gives us an excuse to sit outside and play ukulele together, which is really fun, rather than be inside or in a more enclosed space.” But singing does play a major part when it comes to being a part of music related clubs or programs, something that Bellamy and her peers miss. “Not singing is the worst of it for me,” she says. “Everything else just takes some getting used to.” 

Open Art Studio

Every afternoon, Marlene Ma heads to the Dillon Art Center to work on her painting that’s been in the works since the beginning of September. She’s creating the cover of an album she listened to all summer: “When I paint, I try to connect it to something from my life.” With music playing softly in the background, she and her peers continue their work, making progress every day. Sometimes everyone in the workshop has to follow instructions set out by leader Ms. Ho; other times, students get to choose which mediums to work with and what they’ll be making. 

Photography

Groton’s campus offers a variety of subjects for on-the-rise-photographers to capture. Every Tuesday and Thursday, students have been using their phones and digital cameras and taking pictures from prompts instructor Ms. Andersson gives at the beginning of each session. Michaela Hanson, new to the photography world, says that the class has “helped me develop a sense of hue and saturation that I didn’t have prior, and this knowledge has improved the appearance of my photos.”