Northwood’s halls transform into a winter wonderland during the holiday season, with painted candy canes and penguins adorning classroom windows. Thanks to Northwood Art Club’s annual window painting project, students and teachers alike can appreciate the festive cheer brought to Northwood’s campus through the work of student artists.

The tradition of window painting occurs every year around mid-November through December when students assemble in groups to paint the windows of teachers’ classrooms. The student-led project, launched in 2019 and overseen by club advisor Kim Rohrs, brings together artists of all skill levels, from Introduction to Art through AP Studio Art.

“It’s something I used to do in my local neighborhood with my mom as a kid, and I thought it would be fun to do at school,” Rohrs said. “I had a really involved art club that year so they were all on board to help out, and they continued to do that, which is amazing.”

Window painting operates by request, as teachers can pay $40 for specific designs or $25 for students to decorate freely. The profits help support the annual Night of the Arts in May and have helped Northwood Art Club expand their supplies over the years. Students are known to incorporate teacher’s interests into their designs, as with science teacher Nicole Midani’s love for penguins.

“We had a lot of fun trying to paint the penguins last year because it was a really big window,” publicist senior Amanda Zheng said. “It was a fun bonding moment since we had the opportunity to work together on a giant project.”

These creative efforts to spread holiday cheer have earned appreciation from teachers and students alike.

“I think the students do an extraordinary job spreading holiday wonder and joy,” Midani said. “It just brings the staff together, and it brings the students together.”

Students can attend Northwood Art Club’s biweekly meetings on even Fridays to explore painting opportunities, assist with post-winter break clean-up and take part in other upcoming projects.