The Visual Art (VA) magnet’s fourth senior exhibit began on March 13 and ended March 26. It featured 10 senior artists: Jaydon Thomas, Neriah Rogers, Carter Meyer, Bryann Smith, Naylah Reed, Jane Fishback, Yndypyndynce Brown, Christina Dihn, Jackson Shrensker, and Maggie May and was sponsored by teacher Ms. Sarah Kaiman (VA). It took place in the Norma E. Brown Gallery on Manual’s first floor.
The students devised a theme: Artisans of Olympus. The exhibit contains photographs, sculptures, and paintings created by the VA students.
“They each represented a Greek god,” Ms. Kaiman said. “So each show chooses a theme to represent the group, and really it’s for fun, but it helps to dictate what their flyers look like, and what we call the Beyoncé wall—the wall to the left in the gallery when you walk in—and how they decorate.”
As the sponsor, Ms. Kaiman facilitates the project and makes sure that the students follow a timeline.
“It’s student-run and developed and they make the flyers. They decide the theme, they decide whose work goes where and what gets hung up,” Ms. Kaiman said. “I just come back and say, okay, this is crooked or you know, like, you need to move this piece here.”
Students find confidence in displaying their art for others to see.
“It feels really good. It feels kind of liberating,” Brown said. “I wasn’t always confident in my art. I never really found a style until late last year, and so now, when I know I have a style and I have multiple pieces that reflect [that style] and how I see the world, it feels really good.”
The process can be demanding, but it pays off.
“Oh, that’s the best part,” Ms. Kaiman said. “I always tell kids, I think it can become very stressful, but it’s a celebration of all of their hard work, especially the senior show, so it’s four years of hard work and this is the celebration and the time to celebrate all their hard work and see it hanging up on the wall and and share that with friends and family and other teachers and students that don’t know what they do all day every day.”
To incoming freshmen, Brown has this message:
“Don’t be stubborn. I know it’s difficult, taking critiques,” Brown said. “Take your time with yourself and actually learn what you like and what you dislike and what you need to work on so you can eventually like [your art].”
The fifth and final VA senior exhibit began on April 10, and ends April 23. It features Adriana Bui, Adianez Ruiz Ramos, Felix Kim, Jena Royer, Angie Gomez, Asta Finley, Lili Mangan, Nate Kroll and Zachary Herald. It is sponsored by Emily Forrester.
