Progression in the arts is evident at Ida B. Wells High School. From printmaking to photography, artwork evolves with new skills, styles, and personal growth. Rather than just memorizing information for a test, in art techniques and values you learn stay with you for life. Though decades from now many former students won’t be writing in MLA format or judging people for not knowing the federalist papers, almost all who’ve done art classes will at least budget a little of their free time to work their craft.
Seniors this year have been doing art classes they are passionate about for longer than anyone else at Ida. B. Wells, besides, of course, the teachers. For them, art has been an essential part of their IBW experience.
However, most started years prior to attending high school. “When I started art, what got me into art actually was this YouTuber named Lavender Town,” says Angela Winn, a senior at IBW. Others just started when they got to high school.
“I thought it [ceramics] would be a fun class and was interested in hands-on work in classes after Covid,” said Z Mertsching, a senior at IBW. No matter how long students have been exploring their artistic side, there is much to learn from Ida B. Wells’s teachers “I’d say that the most important thing she’s [Pearson] had me learn, is that, basically, it’s incredibly difficult to move forward without feedback or as I’ve mentioned before experimentation.” said Winn.
Zane Moore, a senior at IBW, learned something along very similar lines practicing photography. “I have learned that photography is not always about getting the perfect photo. There is a time and place where that is applicable, but the way to get good at photography is by experimenting with techniques and styles that are out of your comfort zone,” says Moore.
For others it’s the technical skills they learn in those classes that have stuck with them the most. “I’ve gotten better at sculpting human form.” Mertsching says. Considering his portfolio is about human bodies, this is pretty important.
With so much practice, students can see drastic improvements since freshman year. “The biggest improvement to me that Ms. Pearson helped me with was experimentation. This class has pushed my boundaries quite a bit, in terms I typically draw and as a result, I’ve improved drastically over the last four years,” says Winn. When asked what he’s most improved on since he started, Moore said, “My understanding of how light affects a portrait in the studio.”
This year most seniors are in AP art classes and need to create a themed portfolio. This process includes making a series of pieces, all related, and submitting them to the College Board. Wynne is working on online art about AI. “Ever since chat GTP has been released I’ve been obsessed with AI both in the technical aspects and the more imaginative sense of it, where can you kind of see where this can go? Within my art portfolio I wanted to explore that imaginative aspect…in particular what could go wrong.”
Moore’s portfolio was about nature photography. “I was always fascinated with wildlife in nature and wanted to capture beauty without disturbing animals…Nothing compares to the feeling of waiting motionlessly, covered in camouflage for 6 hours just to see a bird fly on the perfect perch. Not many get the experience of observing a wild animal in its natural habitat without the knowledge of human presence. This is why I chose wildlife in nature as my sustained investigation.” Moore says. Mertschings’ idea had to do with anatomy. “It’s about discomfort with our bodies, with some hints of fear mixed in. It kinda started as a theme last year when we had to make a ‘political statement piece,’ I made a pretty simple human torso and added brightly colored parts to it, I kept making human torsos from there, usually adding plants instead of a head, and eventually that spiraled into the current idea,” Mertsching explains.
Art classes at our school are amazing for personal growth in a passion that isn’t focused on in most classes, but they also can give other benefits. For some, they give relaxation in a stressful schedule. For others, it can give direct monetary benefit. “I started by selling prints of my wildlife and landscapes,” said Moore, who makes money from his photographs. He has done photos for sports teams and senior photos also. Although criticisms and compliments of art are normally subjective, a clear sign that our art program is successful is that people would actually pay money for students’ works.
