The Dalton School, the exclusive Upper East Side co-ed private school, mounted its first alumni artist exhibit last weekend – just in time for reunion season. With more than 100 works on display, the Dalton Alumni Art Show demonstrated the talent of the school’s alumni and the strength of its arts curriculum.

Grouped by the decade the artist graduated from the school, the exhibit included “Spring Veil” by Helen Frankenthaler (class of 1945), who returned to the school for her 60th reunion; “Unmade Bed” by Jacob Collins (class of 1982); “Pietrasanta Painting” by Caio Fonseca (class of 1977), and “Shoreline” by Molly Brill Bronstein (class of 1930), the oldest alumna in the show who studied with the Abstract Expressionist Theodore Stamos.

There were also contributions from Chuck Close (whose daughter Georgia graduated in 1991) and Chris Rauschenberg (class of 1969), the son of Robert.(Frank Stella’s son Peter graduated in 2000 and Christo and Jeanne Claude’s son Cyril graduated in 1978.)

The idea for the exhibit came from two members of the class of 1953, Ann Salfeld Lewyn and Ann Lubin Buttenwieser. Both are nature photographers and have known one another since the fifth grade at P.S. 6. Their ties to Dalton extend through their offspring: Ms. Lewyn sent two children to Dalton, Ms. Buttenwiser sent one and now has two grandchildren enrolled at the school.

One day, Ms. Lewyn and Ms. Buttenwieser were at the school, discussing ways to increase alumni participation. After their meeting, they walked out into the hallway and started browsing an exhibit of student work. “We thought, why not have an exhibit of alumni work?” Ms. Lewyn said.

The opening brought out the artists, curious alumni, and parents of students currently enrolled at the school. All had praise for the school’s arts curriculum.

“This is fantastic. It’s so much fun. I came from Vermont,” an artist who graduated in 1967, Liza Cowan, said at the opening reception, standing near the work she contributed, “The Yellow Skirt.” “I never get back here. This is what pulled me back,” Ms. Cowan said.

“It’s such a creative place, students are really encouraged to express themselves,” Jennifer Heller, a parent of two Dalton students, said. Ms. Heller’s children are Julius Heftler, class of 2012, and Margaret Heftler, class of 2014.

Ms. Heller’s mother, Peggy Heller (class of 1952), gave some historical perspective. “Physically it has changed, but the spirit is the same – it’s the same nurturing environment,” Mrs. Heller said.

The president of PaceWildenstein, Marc Glimcher (class of 1981), has daily contact with some of world’s most famous contemporary artists, but at the opening, his thoughts were on his ceramics teacher at Dalton, Susan Rubenstein, who died of cancer in her early 40s.

Many others mentioned Aaron Kurzen, who began teaching at Dalton in 1947. Mr. Kurzen started the life-drawing class. Other prominent teachers include Alexander Archipenko and Robert LaHotan. Half of the art department’s 12 teachers have taught at Dalton for more than 20 years.

“The teachers here were all working artists who knew how to inspire the person,” Steuart Osha (class of 1984) said.

Current classes include life drawing (using a live model in high school classes), painting, collage and mixed media assemblage, watercolor, printmaking, photography, architecture, book arts, and woodworking. The average class size is 10 students.

The art floor on the top floor of the school’s East 89th Street building was renovated in 1995 and renamed the Abby and Mitch Leigh Fine Arts Center. Its light-filled studios have sweeping views of the city. There are separate studios for photography, architecture, and ceramics. The donors to the renovation included Robert and Joyce Menschel and the Newmark family. Ms. Frankenthaler allowed the school to sell limited-edition silk-screens of her paintings to raise funds.

The school requires its students take arts classes. A course in the visual arts is required for fourth through seventh grades. In eighth grade, students must take two arts courses and in high school, two full years of arts instruction are required (with the definition of arts including visual arts, drama, dance, and music). Students can take additional classes at the National Academy of the Arts, Art Students League, and New York Film Academy.

For some returning alumni, the art exhibit provoked whimsical memories. A banker who graduated in 1977, Joshua Persky, waxed poetic about his artsy days at Dalton, when he aspired to be a writer and took classes in ceramics and jewelry.

Stumbling upon “Valentine” by Suzanne Stern Kunhardt (class of 1967), Leslie Davidson (class of 1966) recalled a significant romantic event. The artist was the first girl her brother kissed. Ms. Davidson wanted to buy the work for her brother, but it was not for sale.