We Reimagined Rogers YOU MADE IT HAPPEN

GRAYSON STUDENT CENTER

The Grayson Student Center is named in honor of the Grayson Family (including Bradley, Class of 2014, and Trustee Peter Grayson), who believe that the arts play an integral role in education. Through The Fund for Individual Potential, they contributed the lead gift to the renovation of the historic Rogers Building, sparking the record-setting support that made the largest capital project in Brewster’s history a reality.

The Grayson Student Center is the hub of community activity at Brewster, and a place you’ll find students working their artistic skills, hanging out with their friends, and utilizing one of the many multi-purpose rooms located throughout the modern, open space. The main floor includes lounge areas, flexible classrooms with incredible amenities, study rooms, a soundproof music practice room (and there are even more on the lower level), and the much-loved Palmer Cafe.

During the week you’ll see students moving through the spaces and greeting each other between their classes, meetings, and commitments. On the weekends, the Grayson Student Center becomes the central spot for hanging out and enjoying weekend activities. It has also been the host of large gatherings like Brewster’s Community Dinners, Reunion events, start-of-school Registration, and very popular Coffee Houses. (Local music organizations have used it for concerts, and there’s even been a wedding!) It has become so vital to campus life that students marvel at what they did before the Grayson Student Center was opened!

FAITH THEATER

The multi-use black box-style Faith Theater is a favorite spot for performing arts and community events alike. During the academic day, classes utilize the space to hone students’ theater skills, and after school it's the place for jazz band sessions, photo shoots, and performance rehearsals. Faith Theater is versatile, ready to transform for any occasion with its wrap-around curtains, three-tier chair seating, professional-level lighting system, and black-out window screens.

The generosity of Karey Fix, Brewster Academy Trustee and Brewster parent to William ’11 and Keenan '13, made this space possible, and she named it to honor her father’s favorite mantra: “Keep the faith.” His simple but caring advice, now a permanent part of Brewster’s history, will remind generations of student artists to keep their faith in themselves as they embark on creative discovery and performance.

COVIELLO DANCE STUDIO

The Coviello Dance Studio is a beautiful and expansive studio with mirrored walls, barres, and floor-to-ceiling curtains that draw back to reveal amazing views of the mountains and lake that are iconic to Brewster’s setting. Whether students are choreographing for a dance team performance or trying dance for the first time in class, the Studio is a perfect space to connect and collaborate with movement. The abundance of warm natural light sets a welcoming atmosphere and creates a great space for yoga and team-building activities, too!

The Studio is named in honor of Brewster Trustee Art Coviello and his wife Cathy Coviello, a trained dancer and musician. The couple believes this space will inspire students to push outside their comfort zones, discover new creative endeavors, and pursue their interests and talents to their fullest potential—and we are grateful that their generosity has made this vision a reality.

FLEX SPACES

In conceptualizing the way the new space would be used by students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike, the Reimagine Rogers team knew that creating rooms that served multiple purposes would be key. The idea of “flex spaces” was born. By including top-of-the-line lighting, technology, seating, and even a glass wall of moveable doors, the design of the Grayson Student Center’s closed rooms shift hour to hour to suit the needs of the community. Open areas also morph from hang-out zones to formal event space seamlessly. Well-placed storage near the Cafe creates a counter that doubles as a serving area when students are using the space as a teaching kitchen. Even the graduated stone areas that flank the main entry staircase are flexible enough to serve as extra seating as well as display spaces for student art.

CREATIVE SPACES

The classrooms in Phase II are an art teacher’s (and student’s!) dream come true. Incredible light and open, airy spaces are just the beginning. Floor-to-ceiling storage for supplies, large sinks and clean-up areas, and moveable work tables and chairs make learning joyful. During a photo shoot to showcase the new dark room, the professional photographer hired by Brewster for the job opened the door and declared, “This is the nicest dark room I’ve ever been in my 30 years of photography!” Around the corner, a corridor holds seven music practice rooms, each with fresh design touches, customizable lighting, and, of course, complete soundproofing technology.

LOUNGE AND GALLERY SPACE

The Phase II student commons area—positioned at the heart of this level—provides yet another space for connecting with peers and displaying student artwork. Pinboards, open corners, and display shelving allow the appropriate gallery options for paintings, photographs, fiber crafts and textiles, jewelry and metalwork, ceramics, and a lot more. It’s a space where parents, grandparents, and alumni have all enjoyed special art shows, taking in the breadth of creative work Brewster students have completed.

CERAMICS STUDIO

The ceramics studio is a bright, sun-filled space with lake and mountain views to inspire creativity! Featuring new wedging tables, throwing wheels, two new kilns, sinks, storage, and even a clay recycler, the studio is equipped with everything students need for their projects. With gallery space just around the corner to display finished pieces, the entire community is able to view what our students’ hands create. “The futures of multitudes of Bobcats have been changed for the better,” says arts faculty member and alum Alicia Childers of all the creative spaces in Phase III. “They will have opportunities to throw clay and explore new mediums! Thank you to all those who made this possible.”

TYLER BALINT '21 ROBOTICS LAB

The Robotics Lab is named in memory of Tyler Balint ’21, a quiet and caring young man who loved Brewster, and saw that love returned. Tyler was an integral member of one of Brewster’s first robotics teams, and his passion for the technical aspects of robotics was only matched by his skill in theater production and his insistence on wearing shorts no matter the season! The lab is bright and airy, with ample storage space for the many tools and materials needed to compete in various robotics challenges. Flexible work tables enhance collaboration, an absolute imperative in the work of the Robotics team. The modular desks allow the team to easily move furniture to gain the space to run the robots in its arena. With a new 3-D printer with a build space of 6’ x 2’ x 2’, students can print large or multiple parts simultaneously. A touchscreen digital whiteboard called a Promethean board allows students to create designs and save images to make plans and return to them later.