Within the walls of the art room, surrounded by various paints, markers, charcoal, and brushes is where senior Carter Bergstein, a talented art student at Princeton Day School, is found spending most of his free time. Consistently, he can be found working on a studio art assignment, or simply working on a personal project outside of his academic work.
While Bergstein has a deep passion for art now, he only began doing studio art when he began high school. He claims that “Art has been a part of my life for a long time, however it wasn’t until around freshman year that I got into it more formally. I had painted or drawn before that but my first real experiences with art happened then.” Since then, he’s found a home in the art studio with Gwen Shockey, the studio art teacher at PDS.
As an artist, Bergstein tends to get inspiration from the environment around him, saying
“I’ve found myself feeling really inspired by outdoor green spaces,” adding “I think it’s so important for people to connect with the outdoors in any way possible, especially in places that are not typically very natural.” This inspiration can be seen in many of his recent pieces, using green-ish color schemes to achieve a visual effect.
Bergstein specifically notes how Princeton Day School’s community has helped him grow as an artist. He notes one specific aspect of the school that contributes to this: “I think for me it’s the teachers. I truly think the work the PDS art department does to inspire and facilitate creativity across all sects of art is truly outstanding.” He goes on to mention that arts students are supported across classes, saying “Whether you’re in fine arts, ceramics, or architecture you will always find yourself being encouraged to experiment as an artist, and that, for me, is so valuable.”
Throughout his experience at PDS, Bergstein has felt supported to follow his artistic interests and aspirations. As a student, he demonstrates the transformative power of the teachers and education itself offered at our school, encouraging creativity and discovery.
