Student Art Show
On April 21st, West’s art students were able to display their talent through the annual Student Art Show. This is an event that is all about “Celebrating the artistic talents of our students, celebrating and reminding our student body, their families, and West staff of the importance of the arts in the curriculum, and celebrating how successful a student can be when they dedicate themselves wholly to learning” according to Mrs. Doyle, one of the art teachers.
Students entered their best piece of art to be placed in a temporary gallery that remained in the hallway for following week of the 25th. In addition to having their art displayed, awards were also given out to art students that had demonstrated exceptional creativity and technique. A unique part about these awards is that they are determined by guest artists who give their own incite on the quality of the artwork. One of these awards is determined by a student vote. The award for “Student Choice” along with the gift of $50 is Eileen Billings who portrayed a Muslim girl in her drawing to make a point in racial discrimination.
The art show has remained a tradition for the past fifty-five years at West. Artwork from past years can be found all around the school as one of the most prestigious awards, “Best in Show”, gives the single winning student the opportunity to have their art purchased by the school, framed and placed among the other talented pieces which were created by past student winners.The honorary winner for this award was Christa Matundan who had created a multimedia piece of Architecture which will be put on display inside the school after a location is finalized.
This a perfect way for students to demonstrate the talent and creative they have and not only does it bring them pride but also their teachers.
Mrs. Cann comments about her perspective of the event saying,”It makes me honored to be an art teacher at West when I have the opportunity to see my students so proud to have their work on display in the show”.
There was a wide array of styles, techniques, and creativity seen through these amazing pieces. Artwork from each class offered at West are included in the show. Viewing the artwork, it is hard to pick favorites as there is so much variety and individuality put into each creation. As Mrs. Cann puts it, “each class has different aspects that make them exciting” and as an artist herself she expresses, “I truly love when I can combine different elements of each to create an overall masterpiece.”
If you were not able to see the talent of our art students this year, here are just some of the amazing works below. To truly appreciate the time and effort put into these pieces, though, it is best to see them in person; West encourages anyone and everyone to attend the Art Show next year!
On a final note, Mrs. Doyle and Mrs. Cann give their own personal messages to all the art students.
Mrs. Doyle gives her support stating, “Each year Mrs. Cann and I are wildly proud our our art students. This years Annual Student Art Show was a testament to the commitment, creativity, open-mindedness and risk-taking of our student body. With over 600 pieces of art in the show, we had more talent than ever on display and it has been our pleasure to foster your artistic growth. Congratulations on your exceeding success and always remember to do something creative everyday!”
And from Mrs. Cann, “I am so impressed with each and everyone of my art students. I love coming to school everyday to see you all creatively problem solve in order to create your amazing masterpieces.”
Once again, congratulations to all of the art students for an outstanding year of artistry and talent!
Emma Blackwell is senior at West and is both the Editor-in-Chief of The Glen Bard and a columnist. Her main column is called "Artist's Corner" and covers...
