From a new art studio filled with natural light to the reinstallation of the Science on a Sphere (SOS) in the Center for Innovation and Design (CID), Morristown Beard School is starting the year with exciting upgrades designed to inspire creativity, collaboration, and innovation across campus. 

By moving Science on a Sphere to its rightful location in the Math-Science Center (MSC), the space will be more accessible and will enhance students’ learning by providing them with the tools necessary to visualize scientific concepts. When the MSC was first introduced, it was built to expand the Science Department and provide opportunities for students. With the curation of the Center for Innovation and Design (CID), places like the Environmental Systems Lab were introduced to the school, which enabled students to pursue their passions. Mr Paul Fisher, Chair of the Computational and Information Sciences Department at MBS, stated that adding the Science on the Sphere to the CID would be the “logical extension from the Environmental Systems Lab.” Acting as another resource to elevate the hands-on learning experience at MBS, moving the sphere makes this incredible resource more accessible. 

The new location benefits a variety of classes. For example, Oceanography students can now study coastal systems on the sphere, use the CID computers to analyze data, and then apply their knowledge directly to the Environmental Systems Lab’s reef tank. Mr Fisher added that the move allows his “Computer Arts and Sciences classes (CASci) to write software to create data sets for the sphere and special software for controlling the sphere,” providing valuable programming experience. 

Environmental Science classes will also use the sphere more frequently, allowing students to strengthen their understanding. This significant change, as Mr Fisher noted, “enables the entire point of having the Environmental Systems Lab and the CID” by allowing students to have full access to all of the amazing resources on campus. 

Thanks to Mr. Fisher’s dedication to moving the equipment, the Science on a Sphere is officially up and running in the CID which marks another step forward in MBS’s commitment to experiential learning.

Meanwhile, over in Wilkie Hall, the Art Department is welcoming a major upgrade of its own. A new art studio – complete with large windows, standing easels, and flexible workspaces – has transformed what used to be a computer lab into a creative hub for drawing, painting, and sculpture, mirroring collegiate-level studios. 

The renovations resulted from the goal of moving the ceramics room, originally in the lower level of the South Wing, into a brighter, more spacious area. This shift opened the upper level of Wilkie Hall for a brand new drawing and painting studio. The natural light that once had to be blocked for computer screens now fills the room, helping artists work on composition and shading with real sunlight. 

Mr. Zachary Mazouat of the Art Department explains that the new space allows for a more flexible work area in his Art 2 classroom. For example, the standing easels can be configured in a manner that works best for a certain project, like having the easels surround a still life reference. “It gives our students,” Mr Mazout said, “a much more adaptable experience because they are able to move the easels wherever they want, [and] they can adjust [the easels] to face the sun and work with natural light as opposed to always [working with] incandescent lights.” Meanwhile, the ceramics room is arranged so that students working on the pottery wheel and hand-building ceramics can work side by side, allowing teachers to easily move around the space and provide support to all students. 

Students say the new art room makes a difference in their work and collaboration. Genevieve Bennis ‘27 describes her first look at the new studio as an amazing space, noting that the natural light positively impacts her work. She recalled that her previous classroom in the South Wing felt cramped and difficult to move through. “The [new] room,” Bennis adds, “is like a blank canvas and it inspires me to create.” She added that the open space makes student collaboration easier, which gives students the ability to give constructive feedback to peers. Amid the changes in the Art Department, such as new faculty members, the reassignment of teachers to different classes, and renovated studios, students are experiencing the opportunity to be a part of a rapidly growing art program supported by the administration. 

When asked to describe the room in three words, Mazout answers, “Bright, inspiring, and versatile.”

Overall, the incredible transformations taking place on Morristown Beard’s campus will continue to foster students’ passions. From crafting magnificent pieces of art in the well-lit studio to exploring scientific data on the SOS while applying knowledge elsewhere in the CID, the changes will enhance experiential and creative learning at MBS.