On Friday, May 2nd of 2026, Oakmont Regional High School held its annual Evening with the Arts. With this event, students’ amazing art, engineering, technology, and music creations were displayed for anyone interested to view. From the technology and engineering department’s laser-tag robots to the art department’s paintings that are taller than a human, every sort of creation was on display.
Those weren’t the only things on display though; the building was full of student-made metal puzzles, photography, wooden carved chairs, engraved wooden objects, go-karts, digital art, sculptures, and other unique student-made creations. From the music department, Oakmont’s jazz band played throughout the entirety of the event, adding heavily to the atmosphere of the gallery walk, making it feel as though it were a real, professionally made, famous gallery. From 6:30 to 8:00 pm, the halls were packed with families, students, and members of the community coming to see all the best work Oakmont has to offer.
Although the event was a one-night-only gallery walk, the students worked for weeks to prepare for this event.
Starting in early April, art students began writing up information about themselves and creating brochures to be put on display with their art, alongside finishing art pieces to add to their panels. The creation of these panels took time too; they had to be formatted, work had to be attached with staples or hung up with thumb tacks and nails, and finally hung from the ceiling.
Art students weren’t the only ones hard at work – one of the students who worked on creating the laser tag robot, Layton Martioski, said it took “… just under two months”. Students who performed for the music department dedicated much time to rehearsing and practicing, making sure everything sounded perfect for the night. Other students spent many hours making their creative works to display for the night. All of this hard work that went on behind the scenes made Evening With the Arts truly fantastic. Teachers and staff of nearly every department in the building helped to put this wonderful event together—a special thanks to those who contributed their time.
Gregory Barry, one of Oakmont’s amazing art teachers, has hosted this art show for many years. When asked about the event, he said, “The evening went great. Super smooth and classy, like walking around the galleries of Chelsea in New York or South of Washington in Boston. There was a wide array of folks who attended from parents, teachers, administrators, community members and students, but also many repeat art lovers. There have been people who come to the show every year and they do not have students at Oakmont. They just know how great and different it is every year. It seemed that this year more than most other years, I loved seeing so many little kids too! It was great to see people of all ages experience the hands-on interactive exhibits in the Technology Engineering work rooms and labs. Some of the folks I talked with loved being able to sit and relax in the Auditorium while listening to the Jazz Band play tune after tune. And of course, the transformation of the hallways with student art was wonderful to see! As I walked throughout the evening, what filled my heart was witnessing the advanced art students pridefully and smilingly talk about and showcase their work to family, friends and complete strangers. It’s amazing to see how each student has grown throughout the year to get to this point. I am just very grateful, proud and honored to be working with these students, these artists! Overall, the Evening with the Arts 2026 was a fun and special event!”
That marks Oakmont’s Evening with the Arts 2026 as another successful and memorable event showcasing that a student’s creativity can go beyond just art, showing they can be extremely creative in other subjects as well, such as the music and technology displayed during the night.
The hallways were filled with life, supportive energy, and good vibes, bringing the Ashburnham-Westminster community together for another fantastic year of Evening with the Arts. Transforming the school into a gallery walk with all student artists, musicians, and creators’ greatest pieces of work and displays they’ve been working on up to this point in the year. Congratulations and thank you to all of the students who worked so hard to help create such a wonderful night!
Special thanks to Gregory Barry, Theresa Barry, other art teacher subbing Alexandria Barry, Gregory Secino, Peter Jones, Alex Thibeault, and Kris Demoura for another wonderful year of Evening With the Arts.
