Senior Sculpture Installed on Campus

A new student-created sculpture now stands on campus, offering a reflection on the journey of a St. Mark’s student and the relationships that help shape it.

Created by recent graduate Hudson Da Rosa ’26 as part of the School’s annual Senior Sculpture program, the installation features two nested oak arches inspired by the familiar Path to Manhood statue outside Centennial Hall. “While trying to think of something fitting to construct on campus, I looked first to a longstanding symbol of St. Mark’s character,” Hudson said. “I took inspiration from the older and younger students seen in the sculpture, only swapping the positioning and changing the shape in an attempt to represent something new.” Rather than depicting the older student carrying the younger, Hudson wanted to emphasize how each stage of a student’s experience supports the next. “I wanted to imply the foundation that the younger student’s school experience creates for life as a young adult,” he said. “I intended to show how both, in their own right, serve as important stepping stones and gateways into later life.”

According to 3D Design & Woodworking Teacher Ryder Richards, the concept stood out because of both its simplicity and its meaning. “Hudson’s concept resonated immediately because of its restraint and clarity,” Richards said. “Drawing inspiration from the iconic sculpture in front of Centennial Hall, Hudson reimagined that relationship through two nested arches: a smaller one representing the younger student, a larger one the older. The arches are both visually elegant and legible as a statement about the passage through St. Mark’s.”
Bringing that vision to life required far more than artistic ability. The project challenged Hudson to adapt, solve problems, and rethink his approach at nearly every stage. “The initial plan was to make a hollow frame and impose plywood over it, which would not have withstood the weather,” Hudson said. “The administration suggested it be made of solid wood, a more durable medium.” Working with massive oak timbers turned the project into a lesson in planning and perseverance. “The real education in a project like this begins the moment the scale changes,” Richards said. “Hudson was working with 300- and 500-pound oak beams. Every cut carried consequences. The piece evolved from proposal to installation through a series of considered choices and real-time reactions to what was possible.”

For Hudson, one of the most important lessons was learning to embrace imperfections. “I would tell the next student to not expect it to come out how they want,” he said. “That is not synonymous with failure. What gives the piece character and credibility is being aware of those small differences and either adapting or incorporating them.”

The Senior Sculpture program also represents something larger than a single work of art. It reflects the confidence the School places in its students and their ability to bring ambitious ideas to life. “By openly choosing someone to proudly present a piece in a very public and open space, it shows that St. Mark’s trusts its students,” Hudson said. “‘Here is the level of work our students are capable of, and it is out here on our campus for all to see.’”

Richards believes that the message is just as important as the sculpture itself. “For a senior, a project like this represents the convergence of skill built over years, creative vision, and the tenacity to see something genuinely hard through to completion,” he said. “When the school dedicates prominent public space to that work, it signals to every student on campus that this kind of achievement matters.”