Sewickley Academy inducts 3 alumni into Arts Hall of Fame
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On Oct. 7, three new members were inducted into Sewickley Academy’s Arts Hall of Fame, a ceremony that occurs every four years. The inductees are John T. Barr ’69 (photojournalist), Pam Gregg (theater) and Brian Hutchison ’89 (actor).
Hall of Fame honorees have distinguished themselves in the visual or performing arts while at Sewickley Academy and have gone on to further distinction in higher education and beyond. The ceremony included performances by the Senior School Jazz Ensemble and Chorus as well as a rendition of selections from “Carousel” by seniors Avani Venkat and Ibrahim Khan.
Barr is an award-winning cover and feature story photojournalist who got his start at Sewickley Academy as “the kid with the camera.” Over his 35-year career, his work was published in UPI, the Los Angeles Times, Gamma Presse Images (Paris) and USA Today. He served as contributing photographer for the Washington Post, special correspondent for the New York Times, and contract photographer for Time/Life publications in conjunction with Gamma/Liason photo agency. His interest in photography was nurtured as a student in Sewickley Academy’s Middle and Senior schools, and he often had photos published in the Sewickley Herald.
Hutchison has appeared in countless theater productions on and off Broadway, most notably as Alan in the Tony Award-winning 2018 revival of “The Boys in the Band,” and in the 2020 Netflix movie adaptation. Additional Broadway credits include “Man and Boy,” “Looped,” “Exit the King,” “Proof” and “The Invention of Love.” He has appeared in numerous television programs including CBS’s “Blue Bloods” and “Madame Secretary,” and NBC’s “Chicago Med” and “Law & Order: SVU,” as well as the HBO series “The Gilded Age.” Along with several off-Broadway credits, Hutchison has written, produced and recorded an original serial podcast, “I Still Think About You,” recorded hundreds of audiobooks, and is a professional portrait photographer.
Gregg’s involvement in theater began when she was 8 years old and has included acting, teaching and directing. In 1979, she launched The Attic Workshop, an after school theater program or kids interested in performing arts. Then, along with close friend Mario Melodia, she co-founded the Performing Arts Camp in 1988, benefiting countless more aspiring performers. Numerous students of Gregg’s have gone on to work professionally in the arts, and many current students continue to attribute their pursuit of the stage and screen to what they’ve learned at PAC.