M-A’s annual Art Show brought excited students, parents, and staff to the Makerspace on Thursday afternoon. From 2D work, including drawings, paintings, and photos, to 3D ceramics and models, this year’s exhibition was immensely diverse and impressive.
The room was set up with wall galleries covered in art, tables with pottery, and a digital art slideshow. The corners of the room had displays of their own, including sketchbooks, printed t-shirts, and a painted guitar. While meandering through students’ creations, the crowd also made their way outside, where a food table with pizza and drinks was set up.
The drawing and painting classes showed off their creativity with multimedia collages, portraits, and beautiful scenes, both imagined and real.
Junior and Art II student Po Budagova had four paintings on display, ranging from nostalgic watercolor and oil pastel scenes to acrylic galaxy and lily paintings. Budagova’s paintings share messages about self-acceptance and the journey to inner peace. “I just think it’s really cool that there are these really pretty things that I can say that I made and I created, and also I just really like the process of [art],” they said.
Budagova also felt that the Art Show was a great way for art students to show off their work from the whole year. “I think it’s really cool that it’s a bunch of different types of art coming together, because I think that they’re all equally valuable and should be appreciated all together,” they said.
The ceramics tables displayed a wide range of themes, from intricate pots and plates to clay animals and houses. Junior and Ceramics I student Caleb Swartzberg had a variety of ceramic pieces on display. Some were animals, and others were glaze-focused sculptures. “I’ve always needed something to do with my hands. I don’t really sit still, so art kind of hones me in and keeps my attention, so that’s what I do,” Swartzberg said.
Alongside artwork from classes, students not enrolled in art courses also displayed their work. Sophomore Emily Chhen, who worked on paintings in her spare time, used acrylics to paint a boogie-boarding scene, as well as a small, detailed fish in a bottle. Both of her pieces were milestones in her art journey that helped inspire her to continue.
“[Making art] is just a nice way to pass the time. It gives you something to really focus on, like, ‘How many brush strokes should I use to do this? How much effort should I be putting into this area?’” Chhen said.
Ceramics teacher Mike Burton-Tillson felt that students who contributed to the show got to see their art from a new perspective. “What [the students] do come away with, if nothing else, is how different it looks set up on a display, instead of in the classroom or just wherever they have it at home. It’s nice to see it as a group,” he said.
This year’s art show highlighted the strong creative community at M-A. Everyone was eager to mingle, share the story behind their pieces, and celebrate each other’s hard work.
“I think it’s just cool to see the families come out and administrators and staff members come out, and it’s a nice way to celebrate student work throughout the year, and for the students themselves also to just come and see again how they’ve grown,” Burton-Tillson said.
