From painting to jewelry, ceramics to graphic art, and drawings to sculpture, the annual OH Art Show decorated the art hallways from April 14 to 25 and showcased the many talents of OH Panther artists.
“I think it is nice to have a show that displays all types of artwork created throughout the year,” said OH senior Keagan Reiseck. “At the show each year, you can observe and appreciate your peers’ work and gain inspiration.”
OH opened door 11 for the community to view the student pieces on April 16 at 5:30 p.m., so they could gain inspiration and admire OH students’ talents and hard work. OH Fine Arts Department Chair Michael Skura played a significant role in making this event happen.
“Being in [the art show] influences my artistic development by giving me new ways to view pieces,” said OH senior Ashbilyn Crawhorn. “Seeing how much creativity our Panther artists have gives me my own boost of motivation and inspiration.”
This event allows student artists to be represented and appreciated for their dedication to their craft, allowing them to branch out and for their voices to be heard.
“I really like how our art show awards people within our community for their talents,” said OH junior Aidan Quach. “Though there are many statewide art competitions we enter every year, the school art show feels more personal because it was selected by people you see daily.”
The art show brings the community together as the pieces they view may display familiar names, fostering a sense of personalization and connection with the artists and their work.
“Having my pieces displayed so often has definitely upped my confidence in the ideas I have, along with the art I create,” said OH senior Samia Britt.
“I’ve always been shy about showing my work because I felt it would be judged, but having them displayed in shows has helped me feel more open about it all,” Britt added.
This opportunity for OH students to display their artwork builds confidence and helps in preparation for life after high school, as they will become more comfortable in sharing their work. This is an important life skill to develop, especially at a young age.
“Last year, I made a pretend advertisement for Apple Music. That piece showed my composition and design skills,” said Crawhorn. “This year, I have shown my more technical skills by having a realistic piece in graphite, and a paint splotch that was brought to life with colored pencil.”
The variety of art classes at OH allows students to discover different skills and experiment with different techniques and forms of art, stepping out of their comfort zone and growing as artists and as people.
“It felt really validating, in a way. Having my skill sets that I’ve been working on since I was a little kid on display felt like a reward of a lifetime,” said Crawhorn.
This is my first year as a staff reporter on 42Fifty and I am a senior at OHS. I am also involved in NEHS, Best Buddies, and Reading Corner at the school and in my free time I volunteer at the Naperville Area Humane Society. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
