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Each semester, students choose toexpand their education by creatinginde pendent studies. On these pagesare works from the fall 2007 visualarts independent studies—whichranged from ceramics and photographyto fashion and architecture. Theseand other pieces were on exhibit duringConcord Academy’s fall semesterA Reason to CongregateFor Eugene Ha ’08, architecture provides atangible way to improve people’s lives. Hisredesign of the Stu-Fac’s patio was anexploration of how public spaces can containprivate spaces—“translucent but opaque at thesame time.”Eugene settled on the patio for his inde -pen dent study in architecture because hethought the space could be much more invitingand useful. Before he got started, he studiedfamous places where people tend to linger, suchas St. Peter’s Square in Rome, focusing on howthe buildings interact, how open space mixeswith shelter, and what kind of tension thestructures and lines create.On the Stu-Fac patio, Eugene removedthe French doors leading from the dining hall tothe patio, curved the wall, removed shrubberyand stairs, and created what Eugene called “asmaller but better use of space.” In his design, astudent art show in January.THEART OF IN“café-sque” extension of the dining hall isaccessible via a spiral staircase. Vertical polescreate private spaces within the public space,and a bris soleil blocks sunlight from certainangles, protecting parts of the patio from heat.Eugene, who was advised by visual arts teacherChris Rowe, said he hoped to create a designthat would “provide the CA community with areason to congregate.”Inspiration in the EverydayThe inspiration for Peter Boskey’s fiber artsproject started in Drawing 2, when he wassketching insects. Peter ’08 was so intrigued bythe bugs’ wing construction that he researchedbutterfly and moth wings in his spare time.That research resulted in several designs for hisfashion-focused independent study: dressesbased on the luna moth and the monarchbutterfly, a vest based on a ladybug, and a skirtinspired by a praying mantis.For all but the skirt, Peter dyed his ownfabric; for the butterfly-based dress, his mostchallenging work, he also painted the fabric.Originally, Peter intended to piecetogether about fifty separate fabric pieces,building a sort of butterfly mosaic. A realitycheck scaled back that plan, and his designbecame more fluid.In the end, Peter found beauty in theintricacies of something deceptively simple. “Forme, it was taking something as everyday as aninsect and making outfits,” said Peter, who wasadvised by fiber arts teacher Antoinette Winters.“It proved to me that you can have inspirationfrom anything.”Portraits by Jiyoon Lee ’09Stu-Fac patio possibilities, imagined by Eugene Ha ’08Peter Boskey ’08CONCORD ACADEMY MAGAZINE SPRING 200830Above: A butterfly-based creation by Peter Boskey ’08Left: A ladybug-inspired vest