Student Photo Places in National Smithsonian Competition
A quick walk around our campus is all you need to realize that Millbrook students create astonishingly great art. Now, that art has made it all the way to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., as Ashley Slingluff ’27 was selected as a finalist in the Smithsonian Institute’s 2025 Teen Portrait Competition! Ashley’s photograph, Lacrosse Royalty, was one of just 19 selections in a field of 1,100 submissions.
The portrait is the result of an assignment from Sarah MacWright’s photography class in which students created contemporary versions of baroque images. Ashley chose a Diego Velázquez painting titled Portrait of Saint Rufina.
She also drew on her life as a member of the Millbrook community for inspiration, replacing the palm branch from the original painting with her lacrosse stick and using dishes from the Casertano Dining Hall.
She also drew on her life as a member of the Millbrook community for inspiration, replacing the palm branch from the original painting with her lacrosse stick and using dishes from the Casertano Dining Hall.
“I had just started playing JV lacrosse, which was bringing me a lot of joy, and my model was one of my teammates,” Ashley explained. “The start to this season was extremely fun, given my entire team was hilarious, so I wanted to portray that joy by giving my model a lacrosse stick while she ironically kept her face straight.”
Ashley’s technical skill as a photographer and her creative innovation are on full display in the portrait, which was taken on a field trip to Wethersfield Estate & Garden. She intentionally layered the model’s clothing to add dimension and made excellent use of natural lighting—a perfect example of why Millbrook student art decorates our campus.
“At Millbrook School, we aim to install student artwork in every public building,” said MacWright, who led Ashley and her classmates to submit to the Smithsonian portrait contest. “We know that the work is that good; it is worthy of professional care and framing, and it is worthy of our close attention and viewing. In their art, students express their hopes, curiosities, and their problem-solving. Ashley’s photograph shows the best of all of that. She was highly prepared for this moment in a local historic house. She planned for her model and props and took inspiration from a painting by Velázquez. And this image is evidence of the ways she pivoted in the moment, taking advantage of the window light and using a lacrosse stick that was stowed away in the bus.”
The portrait will be part of a video display at the National Portrait Gallery from Jan. 24 to Aug. 30.
“It’s a special joy to see Ashley’s artwork celebrated outside of school,” said MacWright. “I know my husband and I will be looking for excuses to travel down to D.C. this spring or summer to visit the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery. I’m so proud of her.”
Teachers like MacWright who inspire their students to success are a big part of what sets Millbrook apart. Our faculty are experts in their fields who know how to guide high schoolers to not just technical proficiency but also deep insight.
“My photos have started to have much more hidden value and meaning,” noted Ashley. “Each photo I take while walking around tells its own story; our school community is amazing, and each person I see in my photographs has individual feelings and lives that are reflected in the photo, just from their stance or facial expression.”
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