Students and families gathered in Wang Hall to view the Visual Arts showcase on Jan. 17. Student work from the first semester was displayed along the walls, accompanied by a live performance from the MS Jazz Band.
Each visual arts class contributed to a portion of the gallery, displaying various projects that were completed throughout the year.
Visual arts teacher Joe Medina shared that many pieces were inspired by visiting artist Shizu Saldamando, who shared her technique of replacing the canvas with common materials such as fabric and wood.
“Students projected images that they brought in onto a tablecloth and they created a layer effect like Saldamando did,” Medina said. “The image had to mean something to the student, as well.”
In the weeks preparing for the showcase, the visual arts instructors determined the message they wished to convey to the audience in order to form a cohesive collection of art.
Medina shared the process of crafting a story through each piece.
“We look overall what we’ve done throughout the semester and we try to find something that is going to have a visual impact on any audience that comes in but that also reflects the ideas that we’ve been working with as educators,” Medina said.
Medina said that the purpose of the event was to display the students’ individual artistic journeys, and to present the meaning behind each project to others.
“When you take some of the students into the gallery and they see it on the wall, you can just see them physically react in a positive way,” Medina said. “You can see in their face because now they are able to share what they are doing with somebody that’s not in the classroom.”
The arts department is proud of this year’s turnout, and the curriculum that has been taught so far. As the second semester begins, classes will continue to design various art pieces to exhibit in next semester’s showcase.
McKenzie Henry ’27 shared that it was a rewarding experience to contribute to the show.
“I felt so excited and proud of my work and it was really cool to see it up on the walls,” Henry said.
