Artist in Residence

ACTION BEYOND WORDS

Action Beyond Words is the Lycée Artist in Residence program. Over the course of three years, this program invites 3 francophone artists from around the world to use their art and explore the themes of Community and Belonging by collaborating with our bilingual students.

The objective of the artists selected to participate in this program is to build a visual art piece that integrates our diverse curriculum to create a lasting artifact that can be displayed on our school campuses.

To support this program, Lycée was awarded a significant grant of $100,000 from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. This grant was generously matched by our school community.

The objective of the program

The objective of the program is to identify, welcome and support:

• Visual artists who will create a lasting work of art to embellish our campuses.

• Francophone artists from a French-speaking country who will be able to engage, communicate and work with our students in French.

• An artist who will create a visual message, centered around the themes of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging to honor the rich diversity and multiculturalism in our school community.

In March of 2026, the Lycée welcome Marie DÉTRÉE as our new Artist in Residence. An Official Painter of the French Navy and a distinguished contemporary artist, she will work primarily with Middle and High School students.

Born in Saint-Malo into a family of sailors and trained at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, Marie was appointed Official Painter of the French Navy in 2010 — a rare and prestigious distinction granted to a small number of artists whose work engages with the maritime world. This unique title has allowed her to embark on numerous voyages aboard naval ships and travel across seas and oceans around the globe, experiences that deeply inform her artistic practice.

Artistic Encounters

Over the course of her stay, Marie brought that same spirit of exploration directly into our classrooms. From Gr6-12, students had the opportunity to discover her work, engage with her artistic style, and learn the techniques that have defined her practice. Her visits were not passive presentations — they were conversations, demonstrations, and moments of genuine artistic exchange. 

A Palette of One's Own

For our Grade 10–12 Art elective students, the experience reached a creative peak during a very special outing to the Reservoir. Inspired by a dedicated lesson with Marie Détrée on the art of building a personal color palette — layering different colored markers over one another to discover unexpected blends and harmonies — each student arrived with something uniquely their own: a personalized cyanometer.

A cyanometer, historically used to measure the blueness of the sky, became in Marie Détrée's hands a tool for self-expression. Each student's version was a small color wheel filled with their favorite combinations — hues they had discovered, mixed, and claimed as their own artistic signature. At the Reservoir, surrounded by open sky and the quiet of the natural landscape, they translated that personal palette into drawings that reflected both her influence and their own perception of their surroundings.

 A Lasting Mark on Our Walls

Before leaving us, Marie Détrée left the Lycée with a gift that every student, parent, staff, and visitor will be able to enjoy for years to come — a stunning mural in the entrance of our school. Painted in the colors of San Francisco landscape, the mural is a beautiful meeting point between her world and ours. 

In the 2024 to 2025 school year, we welcomed Gabart DOLCINÉ, a painter from Haiti, to our Artist in Residence program. Gabart shared the colors and history of his homeland with our school community.

Gabart DOLCINÉ, an educator and painter

Gabart has been a teacher for over 20 years and a painter since elementary school. He comes from a neighborhood where art is part of daily life. Almost everyone there can paint, sculpt, or create. He explores many styles but is drawn to primitive art and detailed still lifes. He believes still lifes hold beauty even if they do not reflect strict reality. He prefers to paint the countryside and rural life. He also pays tribute to the people from his community.

During these challenging times for Haiti, Gabart feels a strong sense of pride. He views his art and heritage as a duty to carry that pride forward.

GABART AT Lycée: his cultural exchange and classroom work

Partnering with Gabart highlighted the artistic traditions and history of Haiti. He interacted easily with our bilingual students and switched between languages. He led classroom discussions based on our students' questions and curiosity and they explored the evolution of Art History together. They covered prehistoric, primitive, medieval, Renaissance, and modern art: the hours spent with the Lycée students often flew by.

Gabart focused heavily on sharing his vision of Haitian culture as many students initially imagined Haiti through the social media lens. They pictured a place challenged by poverty, dry landscapes, and gangs, Gabart opened their eyes to its rich and fascinating past instead. He taught them that Haiti was once one of the wealthiest countries, not just culturally and historically, but also in its abundant natural marine and underground resources.

These interactions inspired the mural he painted in the student lounge. It shows a lush island where people harvest bananas, chestnuts, and fresh fruit. He also painted the door leading into the Wellness Center on the Ortega Campus. Students now see another beautiful Haitian landscape as they cross the threshold into their safe space.

A warm welcome and shared pride

Gabart's residency showed that Haiti is more than its hardships. It is defined by its culture, beauty, sea, and history. It is also represented by its people. This includes individuals abroad like Gabart, who want to help their homeland.

Through this Artist in Residence experience, our students gained more than artwork for their campuses. They benefited deeply from direct, honest conversations with a passionate artist, who taught them how to look past stereotypes and connect with a rich culture firsthand. Gabart left us with beautiful murals and a broader perspective of the world.

Early January 2024, we welcomed the artist Ernesto NOVO who launched the Artist in Residence program. 

Ernesto NOVO, a citizen artist

Ernesto defines himself as a citizen artist. Painting is his primary art form. He enjoys drawing portraits of inspiring individuals while advocating for freedom, cultural exchange, immigration, and integration. Additionally, his artistic versatility extends to Street Art, creating murals in large formats on buildings, working in different workshops.

Ernesto had the opportunity to create portraits for the exhibition "4 Résistants au Panthéon", showcasing the journeys of these exceptional women and men. He also worked on two portraits of Geneviève DE GAULLE-ANTHONIOZ and Germaine TILLION on the shutters of a stationery store in Belleville (Paris): women who fought for numerous causes throughout their lifetimes. These portraits were highly appreciated and congratulated by the DE GAULLE family, who attended the inauguration of the pieces.

He is used to working with schools and students. For example, he visited the Edmond MICHELET middle school located in a disadvantaged area of Paris to bring color and share portraits of socially engaged individuals, leading to the creation of "Mur de la Paix", featuring James BALDWIN, Rosa PARKS, Aimé CÉSAIRE, Nelson MANDELA, Simone VEIL, and other significant figures in the fight for human rights.

Ernesto NOVO also has been chosen to paint a portrait on the façade of Serge GAINSBOURG's house in Paris, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the artist's passing. His artistic vision will pay tribute to the iconic legacy of Serge GAINSBOURG in a celebration of creativity and remembrance.

ERNESTO AT Lycée: his murals and his work in the Classroom

Partnering with Ernesto opens a window into the vibrant artistic traditions, perspectives, and trends within the French-speaking world. This collaborative exchange cultivates a broader comprehension of diverse artistic expressions, empowering students to nurture a global perspective.

On our campus, Ernesto was invited to participate in several classrooms: in the visual arts classes, as well as with Science and Theatre teachers on a women in STEM project.

His work on the murals, on each campus, was born from a collaboration with students and staff. On the Ortega campus, for example, the objective was to illustrate 8 local icons who inspire us and symbolize the values inherent in our community. A survey allowed to select :

• Maya ANGELOU - American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist
• Susan CERVANTES - American artist at the forefront of the San Francisco mural movement
• Dominique CRENN - Only female Chef in the United States to attain three Michelin stars
• Tom HANKS - American actor and filmmaker
• Dolores HUERTA - American labor leader and civil rights activist
• Bruce LEE - Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor
• Harvey MILK - American politician and the first openly gay man elected to public office in California
• Tommy ORANGE - an American novelist and writer from Oakland, California

The Ashbury and Sausalito murals feature students in action, and illustrate the tight friendships that unite our students through the primary, middle and high school years.

Joining forces with Ernesto offers a unique opportunity for students to expand their artistic horizons and engage with the rich cultural landscape of the French-speaking community. We are delighted to welcome Ernesto to Lycée. We are confident that this experience will be highly enriching for our students, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the artistic and socially engaged universe of Ernesto NOVO.