Canvas of Voices: Visual Arts Program Hosts Annual Winter Show

The Middle School Visual Arts Program presented its Winter Showcase on Jan. 23, featuring student-created works including ceramics, drawings and photographic collages. In addition to the artwork, students from the Middle School Jazz Band performed during the showcase.

The exhibition featured pieces from seven different visual arts classes offered during the first semester. The classes represented were Mixed Media I, Drawing and Painting Technique: Representation and Themes, Intro to 3-Dimensional Art, Intro to the Potter’s Wheel, Intro to Digital Photography and Intro to PhotoGraphics.

Visual Arts teacher Flavia Zuniga-West ’02 said that giving students early exposure to the professional art world is important.

“I think students experiencing a gallery opening, and having their art on display is a wonderful way to introduce them to the art world at large,” Zuniga-West said. “They have the ability to talk about their artwork, and experience the excitement of having their work on display in their community. We have the unique privilege of having a gallery on campus, which is pretty exceptional for young artists to say they’ve had art on exhibition in a gallery in Los Angeles that hosts renowned contemporary artists.”

Anny Du ’29, who also took Intro to the Potter’s Wheel said that the show acted as a culmination of a semester of trial and error throughout the class. 

“Pottery takes a lot of patience and trial and error,” Du said. “But even though the process took a long time, it was exciting to see the culmination of the class in the art show and to be able to see my classmates’ progress as well.”

Ted Ok ’29, who took Intro to 3-Dimensional Art said that the class felt like a break from his other classes.

“I enjoyed the class because it was very soothing to create art pieces with clay,” Ok said. “Working with clay during class alongside my friends was especially relaxing for me, and it felt like a refreshing break from my other, more academically focused classes. I felt proud to see that my work was displayed in the Winter Showcase because all the time and effort I put into this class is being represented by my clay figures.”

Staff Reporter Kasra Maghami ’29, who took Intro to PhotoGraphics said he created a photo-based project that focused on exploring his Iranian heritage as a first-generation American. 

“The pieces I displayed at the showcase were part of a series from my book project, which focused on my family, my Iranian roots and how they connect to my American upbringing,” Maghami said. “The message I wanted to communicate through my work was the emotional experience of being a first-generation American and how I connect with my family through both cultures.”

Maghami reflected on how enjoyable the artistic process has been, saying how it connected closely to his personal strengths and interests. 

“I really loved the artistic process because photography is the only art skill set that I feel I have a real instinct for,” Maghami said. “It has opened many doors for me over the years, and I enjoy every part of it, from taking photos to editing and working through the entire process.”

Zuniga-West said that the showcase highlighted the department’s focus on student expression. 

“I was proud of the quality and diversity of work in the gallery space, and how we curated that as a visual arts department,” Zuniga-West said. “Our department’s really committed to the student voice, so it’s wonderful to see those voices on our gallery walls.”