Students in middle school and high school art classes, and even yearbook, will have some of their work displayed on a Virtual Art Show. This virtual art show began May 1 and will last through May 31. Students worked countless hours on the different projects, so the art department wanted to give proper recognition to many great pieces.
High school art and yearbook teacher, Ms. Turk, approached middle school’s art teacher, Mrs. Knepp about a potential virtual art show. After discussing, Mrs. Knepp was all in. They went to administration and inquired if it would be possible to get the art show started. After making sure students were cleared of any privacy concerns, they began compiling work and adding to the slideshow.
The goal of the art show was to get the artwork the students created out to not only the remaining student body, the community, and beyond. While this year’s online viewing has been successful, both Ms. Turk and Mrs. Knepp are hoping to expand next year. Looking into a community show that involves the entire district’s work (k-12), the art departments is looking for a venue. They are hoping to have display screens, a place to hang the artwork for at least two weeks to a month, and a grand opening night with punch and cookies.
Ms. Turk noted how many praises and thanks they have gotten for putting the art show together. “We’ve heard countless awesome feedback from people. They are very excited to see the work of the students,” Turk said.
When asked her overall thoughts on the artwork of the students showcased in the show, Turk said, “I’m impressed. I love watching the students grow from the beginning of the class to the end, and watching them use different art techniques.”
She noted how the first AP art class Corry has ever seen will be offered to students next year. Students can choose to create their portfolio on one-d, two-d, and three-dimensional artwork. Two students in particular have been gearing up for the course, using different techniques as they create their artwork. Juniors Aivon Vandervort and Makenzie Patterson have been creating many intricate works and now have multiple pieces in the art show.
Vandervort was asked what one piece was that she included in the art show and the impact she hoped to make with that piece. The piece she created was “Match.” The piece she created was truly mesmerizing, the intricate details pulling the viewer in with no difficulty. “With my self portrait, I am trying to convey my personal inner turmoil represented using darker values in the room and contrast this with the light of the match to represent striking a journey of curiosity towards the unknown. A light of healing and change.”
Patterson was asked what her favorite item was that she included in the art show and why she chose to include it. “I really like my ‘Black Eye’ piece because it’s my newest one and I’ve been getting better at my style and my materials I’m using. I feel like it turned out the best,” she said. Patterson’s work captures the shading of the black eye in her piece perfectly, again drawing the viewer into the life-like quality of her piece.
The art show includes many fascinating pieces by both middle and high school students. To see the artwork, you can either scan the code on the flyer’s hanging around the school or visit the link here.
