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Victoria Bigliano
“In the classes that I teach, discussion and interpretation is key, but it is under the auspices of the classical approach,” she explains. “I cover a lot of contemporary ideas which is helpful alongside an understanding of where contemporary ideas come from, so we develop that thinking process with the students. I think the education here is really valuable because it is not in a vacuum, it really does take into account the decades and centuries of learning, and for the visual arts, expression."
For Visual Arts teacher Ms. Victoria Bigliano, an Oakcrest education is beneficial for students because it is deeply rooted in a classical education providing opportunities for both teachers and students to move in the same direction.
“In the classes that I teach, discussion and interpretation is key, but it is under the auspices of the classical approach,” she explains. “I cover a lot of contemporary ideas which is helpful alongside an understanding of where contemporary ideas come from, so we develop that thinking process with the students. I think the education here is really valuable because it is not in a vacuum, it really does take into account the decades and centuries of learning, and for the visual arts, expression."
“I think people can see that as the reverse, as restricting, but it’s not. The students are free to discuss because they have that grounding. The key is learning critical thinking and evidential thinking, which allows the student to reinforce their opinion with the evidence or opinions that show their knowledge, especially in the world of art and design.”
Ms. Bigliano teaches 6th grade studio art, 10th grade art appreciation, and AP art history, which ranges from creating building blocks for creating art in the sixth grade, to interpretation of great works in the AP course. In addition to teaching, Ms. Bigliano serves Oakcrest as the interior designer where she oversees the design choices that make up the beautiful Oakcrest building and grounds.
Ms. Bigliano is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she studied art and design. After receiving her education, she went on to have a strong career in interior design for nearly three decades, where she primarily worked to design both commercial and civic spaces between New York and Washington, D.C.
When Oakcrest School was located in McLean, Virginia, and the vision for the Vienna campus was in its early stages, Oakcrest reached out to Ms. Bigliano for help in designing the new building. At the time, Ms. Bigliano was working on another project in the area, so she was able to commute from New York to Washington, D.C. for about two years to work on both projects.
“Oakcrest is very intentional about its decisions,” she said about the design process for the Vienna campus. “They knew what they wanted the building to look like and that they wanted it to feel like a home for the families. Every part of that concept was, and is followed through from the classroom designs and the gallery walls, to the furniture they select. I work to manage that, in collaboration with the administration who sees everything through the lens of the mission and the life of the school.”
One current ongoing project is the Oakcrest chapel, which sits at the heart of the school. Throughout the past several years, different members of the Oakcrest community have stepped forward to offer financial support or artistic help to work toward finishing the chapel. This allows Ms. Bigliano to facilitate the overall vision for the chapel and engage the local community in the effort as well.
In the new McGowan Family Athletic Center which is scheduled to open this spring, Ms. Bigliano plans to bring to life the history of the school with photos of athletes through the years and highlighting jerseys that have been worn by Oakies in the past.
1619 Crowell Road, Vienna, VA 22182
703-790-5450
703-790-5450
