On May 15, the Ida B. Wells-Barnett High School art department held its annual spring art show. There, artwork from students in photography, ceramics, printmaking, drawing and illustration classes was on display. All kinds of art pieces made it into the art show, ranging from photographs of Pacific Northwest scenes and ceramic plates to a life-size paper mache octopus.
Amazement and inspiration were common feelings floating around the art show as people milled around the show. “I’m inspired myself,” says Katie Sullivan, IBW’s Career and Technical Education Applied Arts teacher in printmaking and 2D art. “I want to go home and try to make something.”
Alexa Bryant-Capellas is a freshman and senior English teacher at IBW and attended the art show. “I’m kind of just in awe. I’m really proud of them [my students in the art show],” says Bryant-Capeallas. “It’s nice to see a different side of their creativity as opposed to just the writing.”
Art students say the show was not only about the art, but the people. “I feel like it’s more about the other people’s stuff [art],” says IBW senior and Advanced Placement (AP) printmaking student Zoe Nagy. “I like seeing other people’s stuff getting displayed more than my own.”
Arah Mahoney is an IBW senior with a painting in the art show. “I think it’s super cool that how many people get to do it and how much [art] there is this year,” says Mahoney. “This year, there’s so much more stuff in it. We started having to use the pillars [to display the art].”
Nagy’s art is displayed in the hallway near the main office. Her display consisted of four pieces that were a part of her AP printmaking portfolio, with a theme of nostalgia through nature. “The references [or pictures for my art] are from important moments in my life or correlate to some kind of memory with a family member, just something important to me,” she says. Nagy used the printmaking technique of drypoint etching to make the pieces.
Mahoney’s work is a self-portrait, inspired by Paul Gauguin, a French painter, printmaker and sculptor. Mahoney says the piece was made under her AP art portfolio’s theme of paying homage to artists who went unrecognized during their lifetimes. “I’m mostly proud of the smaller detailed line work on it,” she says. “That was really fun to do.”
Art students hope the art show will encourage others to join art classes at IBW. “Pick a random class and take it,” says Nagy. “It’s cool that there’s different classes to express what they [art students] want to do. There’s a lot of different choices.”
Sullivan says the art department is an inclusive space where beginners and advanced students work together. “You’re joining this family and this community that is really supportive,” she says. Mahoney adds that the art department is welcoming as well.
The art department is still expanding, even with the art show filled to the brim with work. Next school year, a new art class called Digital Media Design will be offered. Digital Media Design will be an intermediate course where students will need a prerequisite of Art 1-2 (Draw-Paint-Print) or Photography 1-2 to join.
“[Students] will get an opportunity to create the designs digitally and print apparel and posters for events at our school, or for businesses in the community,” says Sullivan. She says students in this class will spend a lot of time on graphic design and screen printing.
Throughout the school year, displays near the main office showcase art from the art classes. “It’s our favorite event of the year,” says Sullivan. “I wish we had the opportunity to do this every month and a half.”
