The Art of Creativity and Innovation: Three Disciplines, One Vision
A collaboration by Hackley School Department Chairs Bettie-Ann Candelora (Performing Arts), Greg Cice (Visual Arts) and Melissa Tranchida (Computer Science)
Here on the Hilltop, we believe that true learning happens at the crossroads of academics, arts, athletics and a vibrant school life. In our classrooms, students are challenged to think critically and solve complex problems. On the field, students build sportsmanship and resilience. Through the arts and technology, they explore creativity and self-expression.
This balanced approach has been at the heart of our community for as long as we can remember, and the School has found ways to elevate each of these areas, dedicating new spaces and resources to enhance our programming. With the opening of the brand new Center for the Creative Arts and Technology, Hackley has now truly elevated the arts and computer science on our campus.
As we planned the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology these many years, we engaged in exciting discussions about its long-term impact on our current students and how it might inspire future generations. We explored how the three creative branches at Hackley can collaborate to enrich the student journey and found ways to express the connection between “traditional” arts and technology. What we uncovered, simply put, is that each form of creative expression — performing arts, visual arts and computer science — requires creativity, compassion, resilience and the ability to see the world from new perspectives. These skills are central to a Hackley education, and the arts and technology at Hackley are shaping students to thrive in meaningful ways.
Greg Cice on Visual Arts:
One of the remarkable things about teaching art on the Hilltop, and what has consistently inspired me over the last 25 years, is to see the focus and commitment Hackley student artists bring to the studio every day. The students in our visual arts program approach their creative work with effort, intention, imagination and joy. For decades now, the visual arts have experienced an exciting renaissance on the Hilltop, flourishing across all divisions and becoming a central and important component of the Hackley experience. And now, with the opening of the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology, for the first time in Hackley’s history, all the visual art disciplines will be united in one facility.
The Center’s features — including three spacious drawing/painting studios (one configured with individual studio cubbies for our most advanced AP senior artists), a separate spray booth, a state-of-the-art digital media lab for photography and filmmaking, a fully equipped sculpture and ceramics studio, individual studio offices for Hackley’s working artist/faculty, and a new professional art gallery — rival arts facilities anywhere and will put Hackley’s visual arts program on par with top colleges and universities. The Center will greatly enhance our existing programming and provide for generations of exploration, growth and collaboration between the creative arts at Hackley — the sky is truly the new limit!
Bettie-Ann Candelora on Performing Arts:
The opening of the new Center marks an exciting chapter for our performing arts students, offering for the first time in Hackley’s history unparalleled opportunities to nurture their imaginations. Imagination lies at the heart of the Performing Arts Department, allowing students to explore new worlds through music and drama, hone their skills, and tell impactful stories. The state-of-the-art facilities, including a 550-seat main stage theater and a flexible black box theater, acoustically designed instrument classrooms and Music Institute rehearsal rooms, and a large rehearsal space dedicated to drama and musical theater, will empower students to fully immerse themselves in the creative process and bring their creative visions to life like never before.
In these spaces, students can learn new instruments, experiment with theater technology and embrace unique staging configurations, pushing the boundaries of traditional performance and discovering innovative ways to engage with audiences. Every space — from the rehearsal rooms to stage — is optimized for clarity and resonance and supports dynamic and collaborative learning, where students can experiment with movement, voice and expression. The Center is not just a building; it’s a space where imaginations can soar, fostering the next generation of artists and audiences who will shape the future of performance.
Melissa Tranchida on Computer Science:
At the opening ceremony, Computer Science student Phoebe Dungca ’25 highlighted the role that Computer Science has played in her Hackley story (click here to read the speech). She provided a mirror to students with similar experiences, desires and interests. The opening of the Center represents Hackley’s commitment to supporting an evolving Computer Science program for current and future generations of Hackley computer scientists. Imagination is innately embedded into the field of Computer Science, and as educators, it’s our responsibility to craft meaningful, impactful opportunities.
If you have yet to step foot into the remarkable learning environment the Center provides, allow me to take you on that journey — one with warmth of natural light, flexibility of open spaces with transformable furniture, technologies that allow collaboration to stand at the forefront of pedagogy, and where student engagement thrives. It’s easy to become enamored with the architecture, but what’s most impressive are the happenings. The spaces provide organic opportunities for Middle and Upper School Computer Science faculty to communicate in close proximity, bringing us together for the first time in one building. The innovative classrooms allow students to develop deep connections and transferable skills supporting habits of accomplishment while uniting character and scholarship, a cornerstone of a Hackley graduate. The Center comes to life through the problem solvers and creative thinkers who inhabit the space, and it has amplified Hackley’s commitment to the program.
With its resources and collaborative spaces, students are encouraged to think innovatively, take risks and express themselves freely in the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology. The merging of these three unique divisions underscores how art in all forms fuels creativity and innovation. This new building reflects Hackley’s commitment to placing the arts and technology at the heart of our priorities, supporting student learning and growth for a lifetime.
The Center for the Creative Arts and Technology officially opened in November 2024. This month, students and employees were treated to a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on opening day, classes for all three departments were held in the building, the first Upper School assembly took place in Diller Hall and featured the first-ever performance on the main stage, grandparents and special friends enjoyed the first Lower School performance in Diller Hall, and families and alumni were invited to explore the Center during an Open House. Read more about opening day and watch the video here.
