When Fenwick High School’s updated air conditioning system led to the installation of new doors in several classrooms, the operations staff saw a blank canvas on which to illustrate and celebrate Fenwick’s heritage.
Enter junior artist Maeve Bonakdar ‘27: the three-sport athlete, SHIELD mentor and math team member lent her artistic talents to a special summer project, creating hand-painted tributes to the school’s Catholic identity and exterior architecture.
She began by painting Fenwick’s iconic bell tower and carved medallions in the school’s facade along Washington Boulevard, but the vision quickly expanded. To beautify classrooms located on floors directly above the Pearl and Angelo Mazzone Chapel, she used acrylics to mimic the style of stained glass windows honoring Dominican saints Rose of Lima and Juan Macias. Her personal favorite portrait is the likeness of St. Hyacinth “due to its vivid colors and intricate details.” She also called this work the most challenging, “pushing me to refine my technique and patience.”
“My process involved finding reference images, planning the layout with pencil and tape, and deciding which elements to adapt or adjust to fit the unique dimensions of each wall or door. I had full creative freedom in designing the compositions,” said Maeve, who has been passionate about art since her early childhood. “I’ve always been drawn to the arts because it was my way of expressing myself before I even learned how to write. Of all the styles of visual expression, painting has always been my favorite because of its vibrant colors, smooth texture and the ability to build dimension through layering.”
After Fenwick, Maeve is considering the pursuit of a career as a surgeon – “it demands the same fine motor skills, precision and attention to detail that I’ve developed through art. Plus, my strengths lie in math and science, making it a natural fit.” For now, she looks forward to her junior year competing in wrestling and track – her sights are on state this year after winning the shot put title at the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May.
Now that her artwork has a found a permanent place at Fenwick for years to come, she hopes it will “inspire students to take a moment to appreciate the often-overlooked beauty of our school – like the carved statues on the building’s exterior, that many walk by without noticing. I hope they are inspired to reflect on the Dominican tradition and the legacy of the order’s founders who helped shape our school.”
