Featured Story
Alumni Artistic Achievement Awards Ceremony Honors Lena Parker-Duncan ‘10 and William Steinberg ‘70
On Friday, March 31, 2023, St. Luke’s honored alumni Lena Parker-Duncan ‘10 and William Steinberg ‘70 for achievements in their chosen artistic fields.
Head of School Dr. Mary Halpin Carter welcomed guests, and spoke about how alumni like Lena and William are wonderful examples of St. Luke’s graduates because they reflect the mission of the school–a confidence to lead and a deep love of learning.
Former Art Department Chair, Susan Cole, introduced Lena and spoke to her accolades, including several Promax and Webby Awards. Susan also talked about the dazzling creative spark that Lena brought to her art and studies at St. Luke’s, pointing out a piece of art that still hangs in the school today (a circus scene, pictured in the event photo gallery). Lena currently works as an Art Director in the CBS Marketing Department within Paramount, developing key art and creative campaigns for hit CBS Network and Paramount+ streaming shows. She got her start in the entertainment industry working at Warner Brothers in the Worldwide Television Marketing Department, after graduating from Brown University with a degree in Egyptology and Visual Arts. Lena took the audience through “a day in the life” in her role as an Art Director for The Emmys, then detailed the process of developing creative marketing and materials for shows like her current project, Fire Country.
Next, alum Jim Blakey ‘70 introduced William. He joked that “Bill won St. Luke’s awards as fast as they could think them up!”, and noted that William’s name can be found on many plaques throughout the School. William and his wife Jaqueline Weiss currently live in Toronto, Ontario. Though he began his career as a trained architect, William was honored for his work in a myriad of mediums. Like Lena, William gave the audience a “behind the scenes” look into the process of his art, passing around an etched bronze plate and a relief print woodblock. He explained how his personal style has been consistent over the past 50 years, though he was inspired by a variety of art and artists along the way, which led him from drafting architectural renderings to exploring watercolor, relief prints, etchings, and then eventually bronze sculpture (to see his 2D work transformed into a 3D piece).
Lena and William join past Alumni Artistic Achievement Award recipients: Ben Klein ‘12, Dominique Bandoo ’09, Marcus Smalls ’90, Jon Salamon '10, Kent Bloomer '53, Payton Cosell Turner '04, Peter Bush Swanberg '73, and John Henson '86.
Congratulations again, Lena and William! To view photos from the event, click here.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
