Lyons and Dickinson's culture-rich sabbatical

Cameron Ormsby '07

As anyone who attended the DeNunzio Disco can tell you, art teacher David Dickinson is definitely back. He and his wife, French teacher Claudia Lyons, spent last year on joint sabbatical, using the opportunity to travel and to perform public service while working on their professional development.

Their hectic year started in summer 2004 on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Last fall, Mr. Dickinson acted as assistant coach of the Smith College varsity tennis team. His season ended with a trip to Miami, Florida, where he attended a conference for coaches, hosted by the Inter-Collegiate Tennis Association.

On returning home, Mr. Dickinson and Ms. Lyons turned their attention to the public service aspect of their sabbaticals. Ms. Lyons taught French to a Korean woman, while Mr. Dickinson gave a series of open lectures on drawing and studio art for teachers in Franklin County.

In addition to tuning his skills, Mr. Nilsson has been seeking contacts and seizing as many chances to perform as possible. "I couldn't be happier about the range of musical opportunities in the city," he said.

In January, the two set off for Paris, where Mr. Dickinson studied figure painting at the Grand Chaumiére, a famous French art institute. The trip also included such notable highlights as visiting jazz clubs and taking the Da Vinci Code tour at the Louvre.

Soon after, he played with a band at The Bitter End, an historic venue in Greenwich Village known for the artists who began their careers on its stage.

Mr. Dickinson then turned his attention to a project he has been working on since 1998. The Traveler's Sketchbook, as he envisioned it, would teach painting to those with no artistic background. Much to his delight, it was a great hit with young children. Ironically, it was the adults who wanted to see it on CD-ROM, where they could hear his voice directing them through the process step by step. Currently, this is still a work in progress.

After a visit to Jamaica, a spring season with the Smith College tennis team, and making a second trip to Paris, Mr. Dickinson and Ms. Lyons returned to Prince Edward Island. There he entered an invitational competition for artists, and received one of three Awards of Excellence. His drawing was a political piece dealing with the dangers of overdevelopment.

Throughout his travels, Mr. Dickinson was accompanied by a Deerfield Academy pennant. This was photographed all over the world and even held by Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada.

Mr. Dickinson and Ms. Lyons have returned from their respective sabbaticals feeling rejuvenated and excited to jump back into Deerfield life. In addition, they have the advantage of gaining new perspective from their travels. "Being in another country when the election is taking place, when the Pope dies, and even when the Red Sox win the World Series is a very different experience," Mr. Dickinson explained. "I'm glad we had the opportunity to take this trip, and I'm glad to be home."

As published in the October 12, 2005 issue of the Deerfield Scroll, the monthly newspaper of Deerfield Academy.