The Horses in the 800s

If you spend much time in the 800s hallway, you may have noticed the two large paintings of horses hanging in the hallway. What you may not have noticed is the small plaque explaining their story.

Laurie Gerber was a student at Needham High School from 1990-1994. She loved animals and art, so she dedicated herself to painting two galloping horses on the walls. These horses originally stood in the old English wing, which was taken down during renovations, but they have remained unfinished. Laurie Gerber was sick with high-grade sarcoma for many years. She was planning to attend Skidmore College, but passed away in early 1995, before she got a chance to begin college or finish her horses.

My mother knew Laurie in high school, and still thinks of her often. She describes Laurie as artistic and kind. When I was younger, she told me the story of her friend who painted two incredible pictures but never got to complete them. She thought that the horses had been destroyed during renovations to the building, but when I first toured the high school, I discovered she was wrong.

I was thrilled to spot two symmetrical horses in the halls. The paintings had been preserved as photographic prints, and when I texted my mom a picture, she was thrilled to see what she thought had been destroyed. It means so much to her that Laurie was remembered, and she is so grateful that these paintings still stand in her honor.

Many people don’t give hallway art a second glance, but next time you’re in the 800s, look for Laurie Gerber’s horses. They mean a lot: to Laurie, to my mother, and to me.