Senior Art Showcases Creativity

As an alternative to the district-wide annual “Spring for the Arts” event, SHS art teacher Julie Hickey had the brilliant idea of creating a Senior Art Show to highlight SHS seniors’ art pieces. Set up in the halls of the art wing, display boards were assembled last week for all students and staff to enjoy.

Prior to the pandemic, art classes of all grades were given the chance to display their work throughout the halls and small gym of SHS during the local tradition known as “Spring for the Arts.” Community members, parents, and friends were invited into the building to enjoy the pieces students had created throughout the year. This was a popular community event that brought many people together, as it included all grades and art classes. In fact, I personally remember being very proud to see my artwork hanging in the hall. Unfortunately, with everything that has happened this year, a large gathering would be dangerous; however, the alternative event may become a new SHS tradition. 

Mrs. Hickey’s AP art class was given a final assignment that would allow them to display their work in a safe, rewarding manner. Senior display boards highlight the pieces students dedicated hours to complete. As a graduating senior, I found it to be a rewarding experience to gather the pieces I had worked on from home. I also enjoyed having a corner of my own to display my work and creativity. Because I hadn’t seen many of my classmates’ pieces, it was great to see what everyone had been working on this year.

Many of the students in my art class are attending college in the fall–some of us for art. Seeing the pieces of those who will be pursuing art as a career was inspiring. In my opinion, it is important for underclassmen to see this work for themselves. Students either have a full board, which goes from floor to ceiling, or they share one of these boards with another classmate. The diversity between different students’ styles becomes apparent when looking at all the boards together, and it is beautiful to see how everyone in the same class can produce work that looks so different. Combined together, the finished product creates a beautiful gallery. 

On the boards themselves, students tacked white or black paper for a clean background before adding their work. In addition to the students’ collections of pieces, an artist statement communicates the theme of each collection. A QR code was also required on the boards, which brings the viewer to the artist’s personal Padlet board. Here, people can observe more of the artists’ pieces online. This was especially helpful for remote students in Cohort C or for those who couldn’t fit all their pieces into their board. For students taking AP Photography, there were many digital pieces that appeared cleaner online than on paper.

While counting for a chunk of their final grade, this year’s senior display board project also brought SHS artists together before everyone leaves for college.