On Thursday, Sept. 12, the past, present and future of Duke Ellington School of the Arts was brought to life in commemoration of the illustrious institution’s 50th anniversary. The momentous occasion spoke to the legacy of the historic high school, as students and educators – from many generations – gathered to display their artistry and honor 50 years of culture and impact.
In a multimedia collaboration, Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) hosted the “Ellington Works: 50 Years and the Next” (EW50) exhibition, which includes works by current and former Ellington students and teachers, along with selected guest artists. The immersive exposition showcases stories and creativity of a multitude of artists across various departments, embodying the vision and footprint of the school’s founders: Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Mike Malone.
“As we continued to think about [the exhibition], I was thinking about when people came back here, what would be there for them?” said Marta Stewart, founding chair of DESA’s Museum Studies Department. “The inspiration was to honor what Peggy and Mike did when they said, ‘I want to make a school.’ It was the stories of the people who made it…the stories that sort of unfolded that made this exhibit be more than just art on the walls.”
The History Behind Duke Ellington School of the Arts
What started as a three-page proposal and a $30,00 self-raised fund, soon became a dual curriculum institution dedicated to molding the future scholars and changemakers of the arts. Founded in 1974, Duke Ellington School of the Arts was established to provide talented District youth with equitable access to a transformative education, offering college–preparatory academics in addition to pre-professional arts training.
Cafritz and Malone envisioned a school where students could reach their full potential, both intellectually and creatively, while gaining the necessary skills to pursue a post-secondary education or careers in artistic mediums.
Today, the institution – recognized as one of the top schools in the nation by US News in 2022 – offers a world-class education in a state-of-the-art building in Northwest D.C. and holds eight departments, ranging from Dance and Vocal Music to Museum Studies and Technical, Design & Production.
“We look for opportunities to not just teach our students inside the classroom, but give them experiential learning outside the classroom,” Stewart told The Informer. “The entire world is our classroom.”
A Collaborative Exhibit
Students and teachers from the Museum Studies, Visual Arts, and Cinematic Arts & Media Production departments helped bring “Ellington Works: 50 Years and the Next” to life.
The exhibition offers a plethora of inspiring visuals, including paintings of notable figures, equivocal artwork, and clothing designs from multiple classes.
Former graduates like Hank Willis Thomas, who curated an exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History at 16 years old, and former teacher Simmie Knox, the first African American to be commissioned for a presidential portrait, were just a few of the celebrated featured artists in the exhibit.
Further, members of the Duke Ellington staff, such as second-year teacher Blake Pierre, showcased what it means to be a part of the DESA community.
“This is the only school in the area that actually fosters a student’s creativity and provides the curriculum for students to really be able to hone in on their craft…over a course of four years,” Pierre told The Informer. “To be able to be a part of that is really meaningful and powerful, and to be able to cultivate the skill of these different artists so young is very important.”
Pierre’s featured portrait, titled “Kristos,” meaning “one bearing Christ or Christ-like energy,” reflected his speciality of intersecting spirituality and psychological interpretations with artistic visuals, a common theme of his personal work and academic approach.
By using artwork to educate and inspire others in the realm of the mind and soul, Pierre believes artists can develop a better understanding of themselves and their environment, and apply that knowledge to establish a deeper relationship with their creations.
“Working with young students, [I] always encourage them to understand who they are, to know to really study themselves – what they like and what they’re drawn to, and really kind of figure out who they are. Understand how music affects us, how movies affect us subconsciously, how our environment affects us, and then how we can utilize those things for our rights instead of being influenced by them to our detriment, ” he said.
According to Anthony Nsofor, vice president of the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association, spaces such as DESA and EW50 amplify the mission and movement of the arts, and allow artists to be beacon of change in an evolving society.
“The arts community becomes pivotal in speaking about difficult things, speaking about issues that we might find repulsive, speaking about things that are hidden, hearing voices that might not be included in the common narrative,” said Nsofor, who attended the Sept. 12 exhibition opening. “This space is amazing in terms of the ambience. There is an openness about the corridors that makes you feel like you could go anywhere. You could fly. You could be elevated beyond everyday life to do greatness.”
Duke Ellington School of the Arts: A Safe Haven for Students
Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ rich impact and history was evident throughout the room of the exhibit, but made even more so apparent by the voices of alumni who went on to excel independently after attending.
Stan Squirewell, class of 1996, started out as a self-proclaimed nerd of science before he entered the halls of DESA. After encouragement from a former teacher who admired his drawings, he went on to apply to the school and quickly realized his passion for art, citing his relationships with his teachers and surrounding support system as the catalyst that elevated and inspired his independent work, including his painting featured in the exhibit.
Having grown up in a time and neighborhood overcome with “gang violence and drug activity,” Squirewell considers DESA a savior that changed the trajectory of his life.
“I think that Ellington, especially back in that day, was a haven for students who didn’t want to be caught up in the streets. If you had some talent, that was the place to go to,” he told The Informer. “It does something internal in my spirit to think, ‘If any one thing had changed and I had not gone there, where would I be right now?’ That school saved my life in so many ways.”
Squirewell reminisced on unforgettable memories of impromptu appearances throughout his time as a student, including Grammy-winning artist Mýa, actor and choreographer Gregory Hines, and Stevie Wonder, who donated his childhood piano to the school.
He pursued his professional career full-time and explored various artistic paths due to the exposure and appreciation fostered by DESA, later returning for a teaching position, which he calls a “full-circle experience.”
“How fortunate we are to have had a space where we got a chance to really cultivate our talents all together under one huge roof like that, and to be able to piggyback and inspire each other,” Squirewell said. “My love for Ellington is vast. Students…get a chance to be in a healthier space. I hope that [current students] are having a grander experience there and appreciate that.”
Squirewell, who is releasing his first Black opera on vinyl in December, commends the arts school for enhancing his calling to create, which he considers “his purpose” and something that he’ll do for the rest of life. He anticipates that current and future classes of Duke Ellington School of the Arts will take advantage of such an unique experience and reap the benefits that can catapult them to new levels.
“If I had just gone to a fine arts school, my appreciation for dance, literary arts, museum studies, jazz and so forth and so on, would not be what it is today,” Squirewell admitted. “Being a student and a teacher, there was never a day that I didn’t feel fortunate to be walking in that space. These collaborations that I’m doing now, I’ve got to say I have Ellington to thank for that.”