Alumnae Day 2022: Necessary Journeys with Dianne Whelan ‘83

Inspiring artist and filmmaker Dianne Whelan ‘83 returned to York House for the school’s 90th-anniversary celebrations on Alumnae Day 

On the 90th anniversary of York House School, alumnae and special guests were welcomed back for a morning of celebration and reconnection on Alumnae Day, Saturday, September 24th. Welcomed by our new Head of School, Deryn Lavell, alums gathered together for coffee generously sponsored by Caffe Umbria. 

Following a heartwarming introduction by classmate Kirsten Sutton (Koopman-Osterreicher) ‘83 and her daughter, Olivia in Grade 12, keynote speaker Dianne Whelan ‘83 took to the podium. An hour of tremendous storytelling captured our imaginations as Dianne took us on an epic overview of her six-year adventure traversing the 24,000 km Trans Canada Trail.  Travelling by foot, bike, canoe and snowshoe, Dianne also managed to shoot a documentary along the way.  

A filmmaker, artist, and adventurer, Dianne is ultimately a gifted storyteller and a compassionate community builder. Joined by her parents, John and Geraldine and her sister Nicole, Dianne wowed the audience with footage from her travels and reflected on the many lessons learned over the journey. She also announced that her documentary film project has received funding and in a deal with Elevation Pictures, they will assist with the theatrical release of 500 Days in the Wild in Canada. 

Following Dianne’s keynote presentation, Jaclyn and Ruby, two Grade 12 students from the Green Club, conducted a very lively and engaging Q+A with Dianne. Together they posed questions about both the physical and mental challenges that Dianne faced on her six-year journey, the wisdom she gained along the way, and ultimately, what she learned about herself and her place on the planet.

Alumnae Art Exhibition: “The Power of Trees – Returning to Your Roots”

Marni (McLoughlin) Sheppard ‘89
Marni (McLoughlin) Sheppard ‘89

The YHS Alumnae Association hosted the launch of an exhibition of new paintings on Thursday, September 22nd. Entitled “The Power of Trees: Returning to Your Roots”, the artist Marni (McLoughlin) Sheppard ‘89 was in attendance in the Alumnae Art Gallery space and she was joined by her classmates from the Class of 1989 along with many family and friends. 

The collection of paintings features eight portraits of trees representing the four Houses of York House School: Pine, Arbutus, Maple, and Cypress. By painting two trees of each species the artist’s goal was to capture and ignite a dialogue between these paintings and the viewer. It was a very special gathering of a community coming together to support one of their own. 

The paintings in the Alumnae Art Gallery on the 3rd floor of the senior school will be on display during the school year.