Student art exhibit highlights local talent

Published 10:28 am Sunday, December 13, 2015

Students at Baldwin High School have the opportunity to let their creative side flourish through a series of art classes and an end of semester exhibition.

“The students at Baldwin High have been participating in this type of exhibition for over a decade. It is nice for the kids to get some public recognition for the positive light they shine on the school,” said Erica Wells, BHS art teacher and head of the fine arts department.

The most recent student-created works of art are now on display throughout the high school.

The exhibit consists of drawings, paintings and ceramics from a mixture of beginning art students and advanced student artists.

“Each semester, the students enrolled in any of the seven art classes offered at Baldwin High put up an exhibit of the works done in that course. Works are both two- and three-dimensional,” Wells said.

“The students work in a variety of mediums and use a variety of techniques to create their artworks,” she added. “Students are responsible for hanging their artworks and writing an artist’s statement that discusses the processes and inspiration for their works.”

According to Wells, students benefit greatly from creative outlets such as art classes. Art courses are also a great venue for students who are looking for new ways to excel and succeed beyond the basic academic fields of study.

“The benefits for students include having a positive creative outlet to express themselves. It is an excellent opportunity for students to do some creative problem solving, experiment with different mediums and learn new artistic techniques,” she said. “For students who are not academically inclined, the arts provide an avenue for experiencing success that may not be forthcoming in the academic classes.”

For students who have never been exposed to artistic forms of expression, art courses become a window into something completely brand new.

“Most importantly, some of the high school students are experiencing art in a studio for the first time, and many have no idea how creative they really are. It’s great to hear a student claim that art is his or her favorite class.”

Courses offered at Baldwin High School include Pottery I and II, Drawing I and II, Visual Comprehensive I and II and Photography.

For Gakeyla Harris, a freshman at BHS, the recent art exhibition was the first time she had participated.

“Making these projects took hard work but were fun too. Taking pottery really helped me understand the importance of artworks. The experience was great and inspiring,” Harris said.

For senior Michala Simmons, she discovered that she enjoyed being able to participate in pottery courses.

“When I first started Pottery 1, I thought it was going to be very difficult and I wasn’t going to like it. Throughout the semester I learned to make many unique things that I thought I couldn’t. I looked forward every day for pottery class and I love it even more.”

Wells said her hope is that all art classes at Baldwin will help students realize that everyone has a stroke of creativity inside of them.