by Rose Bostwick
Student painters, photographers, and sculptors displayed various pieces of artwork for Art Morning, last Friday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the art wing.
Art Morning is an annual exhibit where student artists involved in the fine and performing arts department showcase their work for friends, family, and classmates. This year, adults and students alike were impressed by the outstanding, creative work of all involved.
Each senior in the department had a personal display on Main Street, demonstrating their four years of work. Display cases were filled with an assortment of students’ paintings, drawings, sketches, and photographs.
In the ceramics room, cups, pots, statues, and other pieces of all shapes and sizes were spread throughout many tables. Some of the most interesting pieces in the room were small, woodland-inspired statuettes made by junior Alex Hoffman. The three pieces consisted of a cup and two figurines with detailed, realistic tree bark patterns and gnome faces. They were skillfully-made, amusing pieces that appeared to be straight out of a fairytale.
The other art studio classrooms displayed a wide variety of student artwork including drawings, paintings, and other forms of media. Some of the pieces that stood out were semi-realistic self-portraits made by art teacher Shannon Slattery’s art major students. While many of the portraits were done in a similar style, realistic but with wide brushstrokes, each showed the originality and reflected the personality of the artist, through colors, facial expressions, and technique.
One captivating painting by junior Naomi Forman-Katz showed a young girl asleep in a bed with the words “Sleep More” printed above and below her body. The figure and words were painted in blue against a background of collaged newspapers. The piece stood out because of its eye-catching colors and bold statement.
In addition to paintings, there were many photos showcased both on Main Street and in the photography classroom. One interesting photo set was senior Morgan Coyle-Howard’s display case full of black-and-white images of a city. The photos, showing windows, lamp-posts, birds, and buildings, encapsulated the place and appeared professionally shot.
One important piece of artwork displayed that gained much attention from students and adults alike was a compilation of pictures in a 6×6 grid of people’s bare stomachs with a tape measure wrapped around them. The set, by sophomore Sophie Lyon, was unique and compelling, and caused viewers to discuss various interpretations, such as how the photo set could represent societal pressure to be a certain size.
Overall, Art Morning was a wonderful exhibit which amazed all who attended with the vast amount of talent in every work. The exhibition was rewarding for fine arts students and viewers alike and, at times, breathtakingly impressive.