As students, faculty and staff, and guests enjoyed a festive reception following the Upper School Ensembles Chamber Concert on Thursday, Dec. 5, the Fine Arts Department and school leadership recognized the contributions of David and Elisabeth McChesney in a most fitting way: through the gift of art.

David McChesney has been at Ravenscroft since 1999 and has served as the school’s first full-time Director of Fine Arts since 2004. Elisabeth McChesney joined the department as the Fine Arts Administrative Coordinator in 2005. The couple will retire at the end of the school year.

Prior to the announcement of the gift, Head of School Derrick Willard praised the “hours and hours of unseen work in rehearsal” that made the evening’s stellar choir, strings and band performances possible before turning his attention to the McChesneys, praising their dedication and hard work behind the scenes to nurture the department’s teaching faculty and ensure students are always positioned for success. He quoted a fellow member of the school’s Leadership Team who said, “Their passion for excellence, warmth of spirit and humble servant leadership will be difficult to replace. Their partnership in leading and building the Fine Arts Department required both inspired vision and a willingness to simply roll up your sleeves and get things done.”

Following a round of applause for the McChesneys, Willard turned the program over to Upper School visual art teacher Erin Stelling, who shared some background about Ravenscroft’s Hugh Morton Jr. Collection, which was established in 1997 by renowned artist Bob Timberlake in memory of his friend — “a man whose passion for the arts inspired all who knew him.”

Noting that the collection — which now comprises 95 works of art — “embodies the joy of discovery that our students experience as they create, perform and celebrate art” and “enriches our campus, serves as a teaching tool and instills in our students a lifelong appreciation for creativity and culture,” Stelling announced:

Tonight, we are excited to present a new addition to the collection: a painting by Martha Crampton, which will be dedicated to David and Elisabeth McChesney in recognition of their unwavering support for this program. We are thankful for the presence of our students, families, and faculty as we celebrate this special moment, and we are honored to have artist Martha Crampton and Pansy Morton, wife of the late Hugh Morton Jr., with us tonight.

Pansy, an Upper School faculty member from 1988 to 2010 and mother of Jack Morton ’96, reminds us of the connections and traditions that make Ravenscroft so truly unique.

She closed by saying, “Once again, our deepest thanks to David and Elisabeth. Your contributions continue to inspire and enrich the entire Ravenscroft community.”

Both McChesneys expressed gratitude at the gesture.

“It was such a tremendous surprise to be honored with the Morton Collection addition of ‘Lazy River’ by Martha Crampton. The painting inspires visions of relaxing and daydreaming — a precursor to retirement,” Elisabeth McChesney said. “I’m so grateful to Pansy Morton and the visual art team for choosing and procuring such a beautiful piece for the collection.”

“Our years at Ravenscroft have nurtured a great love for the visual arts, and this new addition truly is inspirational,” David McChesney added. “Our close work with Pansy and [now-retired visual arts teacher] Joyce Fillip set us on a path forward that would bring beautiful and eclectic artwork to the Morton Collection. Pansy and our current team knew just what work of art to put forth on our behalf. 

“Few schools enjoy the prestige of curating an art collection with an eye for education,” he concluded. “What a blessing to be a part of this journey.”

The collection is displayed in gallery spaces in the Fine Arts Center and the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center.