Artist of the Issue: Shelby Acquavella ’27
Updated: 18 hours ago
“Even in the summer when I'm not taking art classes, I try to go outside and paint every day or just draw something small,” Shelby Acquavella ’27 said. “It never really feels like a task or something difficult to do because I'm just happy to do it.”
This artistic routine stems from a passion Acquavella had since kindergarten, when she started art group lessons with childhood friends under a private teacher. Acquavella explained that she was naturally drawn to pencil drawing and focused primarily on this medium.
At Deerfield, Acquavella picked up a range of art media, including oil painting for larger projects and watercolor for smaller ones. “If I were to make something for a friend or a family member, I actually use watercolors a lot for stuff like that,” she said.
Throughout her art career, Acquavella has often found the most difficulty in developing a painting’s idea before beginning it. “Sometimes it takes a lot of sketching and experimenting to think of a project,” she said. “But once I have the vision in my mind, I'm in the zone, and I have this flow going on.”
Acquavella noted that her relationship with art has evolved, in part due to the support she has received from Deerfield. Before the Academy, none of her friends recognized art as a subject she seriously pursued. However, she felt Deerfield accepted her passion and gave her a way to connect with the broader community. “I feel like even random people will come up to me and talk to me about my art at school. It’s given me a way to connect with so many different people in the community that I don’t think I would have had the chance to if I didn’t do art,” explained Acquavella.
Acquavella credited her art instructor at Deerfield, Visual & Performing Arts Teacher Mercedes Taylor, as someone who “held her passion for art” and served as a major source of inspiration. “Before Deerfield, I really liked doing art, but it wasn't my main focus,” she reflected. “Once I got here, she really inspired me to push myself and continue it more.”
Aquavella’s dedication and skill have not gone unnoticed by members of the Deerfield community. Emphasizing her “determination” and “sense of personal style,” fellow artist Alana McDonough ’27 reflected on Acquavella’s strong work ethic. “As someone who has done art with her since freshman year, I think she's always been one of the hardest workers in our class,” said McDonough. “She's a very efficient artist who I think takes her work very seriously, and it's always just been amazing to have a class with her.”
Mrs. Taylor echoed the sentiment and described Acquavella as “an incredibly hardworking student who goes for it,” while also highlighting her ability to balance discipline with creativity. Pointing to the reflective visual portfolio in the Honors Studio course, Mrs. Taylor noted that “[Shelby] is a student that reflects on her work and writes about it,” and that “she’s constantly doing an exercise that creates a balance between doing and reflecting and moving forward.”
Mrs. Taylor described Acquavella’s growth as an artist throughout her time at Deerfield, and noted her transition into an artist who has learned to “trust her instincts” while further developing her style. “She's always started with a good sense of ideas and directions that she wanted in her work,” said Mrs. Taylor, “but she keeps pushing more and is working more independently, getting in touch with who she is as an artist.”
Having completed all the courses in Deerfield’s visual art curriculum, Acquavella is currently retaking Honors Studio Art with the freedom to create new projects that reflect her own interests. “I get to set my own schedule up, which I think is exciting because I've been working on something that's really big scale,” she explained, adding that she also hopes to major in Studio Art at college.
While acknowledging that “art is kind of a very tedious, long process,” Acquavella encouraged other visual art students to “stick with it” rather than giving up their interests. “It’s okay if it doesn't turn out the way you want it to,” she said. “Most of the time, the lessons that you learn from making the painting are more important.”
Among her artworks, Aquavella’s favorite piece was Power of Touch, which won her first award. “It was very abstract, because I usually only did more realistic paintings,” she said. “I really had to think out of the box…while maintaining my realistic style, so that was cool to see it come to life.”
Acquavella also appreciated that Deerfield offers students opportunities to showcase their artwork. “The art department is really focused on sharing art, and the fact that we have student shows on Parents’ Weekend for students to come see… was nice.” She added that Deerfield incorporated students’ artworks for introductory art classes as well, allowing for art beginners to observe and gain inspiration.