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Moravian Academy in Action
Swain Campus Showcases Student Excellence in Art, Design, and Performance
Moravian Academy’s Swain Campus hosted its annual Art Show, Makerspace Showcase, and Private Lesson Student Showcase on May 15, 2025. The evening was dedicated to celebrating the talent, skill, and excellence of our students. The event highlighted the depth and range of student work across visual arts, engineering, and music.
The student art exhibition featured work from Preschool through 8th Grade, with projects emphasizing creativity, technique, process, and composition.
- 4th Grade Mosaics demonstrated students' precision and understanding of balance and texture as they arranged glass, stone, and tile into carefully constructed designs.
- 6th Grade Ceramic Masks combined clay sculpting with surface design techniques, resulting in expressive pieces that reflected cultural symbolism and individual creativity.
- Kindergarten PA Animal Environments integrated science and art as students sculpted Pennsylvania animals from clay and built mixed-media habitats using natural materials.
A standout feature was the 8th Grade Chair Project. Students began with standard chair frames and transformed them into functional works of art. Projects included reupholstered seating, added structural elements, custom paint applications, and thematic designs. This capstone assignment demanded advanced skills in planning, measuring, cutting, finishing, and problem-solving — a demonstration of craftsmanship and academic discipline.
The Makerspace program emphasizes engineering concepts, material science, and collaborative design through grade-specific projects. Students applied skills in measurement, tool safety, prototyping, and critical analysis.
Key projects included:
- 1st Grade Racing Sailboats: Students designed boats from insulation foam, wooden dowels, and coated paper. They tested durability, symmetry, and weight distribution by racing them down a water canal powered by handheld fans.
- 3rd Grade Mini Treehouses: Using concrete bases and collected tree branches, students constructed elevated structures with popsicle sticks, string, and fabric. The project emphasized stability, architectural planning, and creative problem-solving.
- 5th Grade Hurricane Houses: Students engineered paper-based structures to withstand high winds generated by a leaf blower, testing their designs against simulated hurricane conditions.
- 7th Grade Tabletop Games: Integrating carpentry, digital fabrication, and game theory, students built original, fully playable tabletop games. Projects included air hockey tables, marble mazes, and strategic board games with custom components.
- 8th Grade Independent Projects: Students proposed their own builds, created tool and materials lists, and constructed complex projects ranging from custom furniture pieces to multi-material installations.
The Makerspace program cultivates skills in measurement, prototyping, tool safety, and critical thinking, with students documenting their processes through project proposals and reflection reports.
The evening also featured live performances from Swain Campus students enrolled in private music lessons. Performers presented vocal and instrumental pieces, including piano, guitar, violin, and vocal solos. The showcase reflected students’ discipline, musical literacy, and stage presence, marking important milestones in their individual musical growth.
This year’s showcases embodied the spirit of curiosity, creativity, and excellence that defines the Moravian Academy. Every piece of artwork, engineering project, and musical performance reflected the passion, skill, and thoughtful craftsmanship nurtured in every classroom and studio on campus.
