For the past 38 years, Ms. Farrell has enriched WT’s community with her positivity, passion, and dedication to the arts. From the days of an all-girls school to the transition to co-ed, and from carousel slides to PowerPoints, Ms. Farrell has witnessed Winchester evolve through many different eras. We were delighted to speak with her about her experience and the legacy she leaves behind.

After graduating from Chatham University, Ms. Farrell came to Winchester when it was still an all-girls school. At the time, class sizes averaged around 20 students per grade, all housed in one building and filled with unique, passionate personalities. Looking back, she says she has absolutely no regrets. The students were wonderful, the classes were engaging, and one of the highlights was having a dedicated art history library. Using carousel slides, Ms. Farrell taught students not only about the history of art, but also about the lasting impact art has on our lives

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Carousel slides that Ms. Farrell used in her classes

Students during this era also had the opportunity to travel across Europe with Ms. Farrell to explore some of the world’s greatest works of art. Italy, Greece, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Spain stood out among these trips over the years; not only because of the incredible art and culture, but because of the memories created with students along the way.

Although WT has constantly changed and developed, Ms. Farrell witnessed two especially major shifts during her time here: the rise of technology in education and the transition to a co-ed school. Both adjustments came with challenges, though in very different ways. The technological shift required her to transfer years of old documents and carousel slides onto computers, while the change in the student body significantly altered the school’s social dynamics and overall atmosphere.

Over the years, Ms. Farrell has taught countless bright and passionate students. During our interview, she shared stories about several students whose paths stood out to her after graduation. One example was Emily Katrencik, a WT graduate who attended MIT for the Art, Culture, and Technology program. For her final thesis project, Emily famously ate through three inches of drywall at a Harvard gallery, certainly leaving her mark.

Though Ms. Farrell will miss WT, she has many exciting plans for retirement, including:

• Spending time with her great-niece and future great-nephew
• Creating more art
• Traveling
• Becoming a docent at a museum
• Going skydiving
• Parasailing at Lake Erie
• Jet skiing
• Riding a motorcycle
• Birding at Cape May

The Winchester arts departments – both performing and visual arts – are crucial to fostering creativity and individuality in high school students. Over the years, however, these departments have received less attention and participation, something Ms. Farrell has personally observed. As she steps away from WT’s art world, she hopes the teacher who takes her place understands the importance of advocating for the department and its students.

The retired fallout shelters that now house the art program, filled with secondhand tables and equipment, are not adequate spaces for encouraging creativity and artistic growth. A common theme emerged between the interviews with Mr. Maione (whose article you can access on this website) and Ms. Farrell: both share a concern for what will become of the arts departments after they leave. These teachers helped build immense growth within their fields, but they have also witnessed the gradual decline in support over recent years. WT, both students and administration alike, must recognize that the arts are part of what makes this community so special, and they should not simply be allowed to fade away.

Beyond major changes and newly constructed buildings, one thing has remained constant throughout Ms. Farrell’s time at WT: her unwavering passion for what she does. She leaves students with this advice: be open to trying new things, even if they do not initially seem interesting to you. Students should not make every decision based solely on college applications or resumes, but should instead use this time to explore different interests and opportunities across many fields. Most importantly, she says: have fun.

We will truly miss Ms. Farrell’s presence, the positivity she brought to each day and the incredible stories she shared, but we wish her the very best in all of her exciting future adventures.