Photo by Johnny Clapham
Arts Concentration, one of Choate’s most well-known and widely respected signature programs, accepts a small number of students every year. A majority of the accepted artists tend to be incoming juniors or sophomores, so it is rare for students to start their Arts Con careers entering senior year. Sophie Ball ’17 is one such exceptional senior who just began a new arts-oriented life in the program.
Jeanne Malle: What motivated you to make this decision?
Sophie Ball: My whole life, I have been drawn to the visual arts. I would always take drawing classes in school and be really excited about them, but I never devoted a lot of time to art, especially when I got to Choate. I only took two arts classes before I got into Arts Con, but I wanted to do Arts Con because I love drawing. I wanted to get better at it and devote time to it but it’s just really hard at Choate and in life in general to set aside that time when you’re not forced to. I thought that the only way that I was going to pursue this passion of mine was if I got into this program and be around people who are doing the same thing.
JM: Why did you decide to join your last year?
SB: It was partially because I feel like I’m not an artsy person, so when people look at me and when I look at myself, I don’t see someone who’s really creative or an artist. I think that I denied that I could do art because maybe I could draw, but I wasn’t an “artist.” Also, I was doing other things such as playing JV sports, and I thought that I should just concentrate on academics. I just didn’t really think about joining until my junior year.
JM: Is there anything that you want to focus on?
SB: For me, it’s just really about trying new things and absorbing everything. I want to learn as much as I can and try as many new things as possible.
JM: Do you have one specific goal for this year?
SB: It’s really hard to boil it down to one thing, but if I had to choose an overarching goal, it would be to become an artist with a specific focus and style instead of just being someone who draws.
With her decision to join Arts Con against all unspoken norms about the program’s senior acceptance, Sophie Ball proved that at Choate, opportunities such as this one are open to everyone at any time.
