NEWS: Student Invitational Art Exhibit

by Katie Appleman, junior

On March 27th our very own Eagles Nest Gallery held their annual Student Invitational Art Show. The show was a chance for students to show off their pieces from their current year art classes and classes from the previous year as covid prevented a show last year. Artists were able to attend the show to better explain their pieces and the messages associated with them. The show was not only for 2D art. There were many 3D art and ceramics pieces as well. To exhibit in the show, students had to submit their work for evaluation and wait for it to be selected. 

Artwork by Ashley Cappetta

All of the pieces were very professional, and the vision and dedication was apparent in each one. Ashely Cappetta made this very clear. She created an oil pastel portrait of a woman being stepped on by a shoe. This was piece she made in AP art this year, and was very excited to show off.

Artwork by Morgan Bayda

The featured piece for the show was a Watercolor landscape by Morgan Bayda. It was selected and printed on posters and postcards for artists to send out to their families to help get the word out. 

This show would not have been possible without the tireless planning from Mrs. Ruvalo, Ms. Samuelson, and Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller said it was a very good experience for the students. She was also very excited to have a normal show post-COVID.

FEATURE: How Do You Create an Art Show?

By: Sofia Zaldivar and Sarah Whitmire

We asked two of the art teachers, Ms. Stager and Mrs. Miller, some questions about the high school Art Show. Here are their answers:

How would you explain our Art Show to a new student?

The Art Show is a comprehensive show of artwork from all of the artists in our school. We feature painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, sculpture, fashion design, graphic design, and various other artistic media.

How long has Nazareth been doing the Art Show?

It’s been going on for much longer than any of the art teachers have been here! I bet it’s been at least 30 years.

About how many students participate, and how many people attend the Art Show each year?

We try to collect attendance, but not everyone who comes signs in. As far as the number of people who actually sign in are concerned, we had approximately 300 visitors.

What do students have to do to participate?

All students who have art classes during the year are expected to have work in the art show. Depending on the level of the class, a student might have responsibilities to prepare their art for the show and/or create the display for their artwork.

About how long does a student spend on their board(s)?

The art department starts preparing for the art show months ahead of time. Some classes may have preparation assignments, such as sketching out their board designs, a month prior to the show. Actual construction of the displays varies based on the class and the design. The 3-D Arts class has the least available time to set up their artwork, as they must wait for the display space to be put together, while our 2-D classes can work in advance on their board designs.

What do you enjoy most about having the Art Show?

I enjoy getting to see the artwork all the students have created each year. It is exciting to see a whole body of work from one artist and the pride students take in exhibiting their work.

What are your goals for the Art Show next year?

We try to make it just a little bit better and more exciting each year. My biggest goal is to increase the interactivity of the show for the viewers.