Every day, students entering the Paul Mellon Arts Center and Ann and George Colony Hall are greeted with warm smiles from familiar faces, including Music Lesson Coordinator and Community Programs Manager Mrs. Carol Jones and Arts Department Assistant Ms. Kelly Lorraine ’99. Mrs. Jones and Ms. Lorraine are crucial to keeping the Arts Department running smoothly, especially under new Covid-19 health guidelines and the impacts of socially-distanced learning on arts at Choate.
Mrs. Jones, whose office is located in Colony Hall, manages all music lessons, matches students’ schedules to their teachers’ schedule, and allocates practice rooms in the building. During her free time, Mrs. Jones is passionate about theater, directing multiple productions at Choate, overseeing the Theater Club, and running the Young Artists Summer Program.
Ms. Lorraine initially reached out to Ms. Kalya Yannatos, Head of the Arts Department, and offered to fill in as the Department Assistant after the former assistant passed away. Ms. Lorraine’s interest in the arts blossomed during her time as a Choate student.
“Her sharp organizational brain makes her the perfect partner for me,” said Ms. Yannatos. Ms. Lorraine is in charge of the box office, public relations, marketing, and press materials during the performance season. She also curates guest artists’ work exhibited in the PMAC gallery.
During the pandemic, Mrs. Jones and Ms. Lorraine took upon additional responsibilities to ensure the safety of the Choate community within the Arts Department, while also trying to create as normal of an arts environment as possible. For example, Mrs. Jones must now factor transition periods when scheduling practice room slots to allow for air circulation. Ms. Lorraine was responsible for ordering and delivering art supplies to students taking arts classes from remote locations. She also came up with a new key system, so students can access their practice rooms in the PMAC without swiping their cards.
“Mrs. Jones and Ms. Lorraine are the pillars of the Arts Department,” said Ms. Yannatos.
