This year the art teachers have been working towards getting more events for students interested in the creative arts field. A big event that took place was the Carmel Art Association Annual Youth Exhibition and Competitor called For The Love of Art where students were able to display their work for the public to see.
The main steps that the teachers were looking for were juniors and seniors with high potential who were capable of creating anything they wanted as long as it was original.
The process for the art gallery started in September when students attended an orientation for an art expo. ”Although this was a separate event, the students that we took were given each a panel to create for the art show and submit,” art teacher Karina Garcia said. “The top 5 from here would then submit for the Carmel Art show.”
The top 5 who were able to submit for the Carmel art show were: Jansy Hernandez-Sumano, Vanessa Landeros-Valdez, Luz Bautista-Merino, Ireland Rodriguez-Lopez, and Victoria Waddy. In January, the students would submit their work to one of the art teachers, either Garcia, Fernandez, or Cornejo. They would then fill out an application containing a photo of themselves and the artwork with the basic info of the piece such as what mediums were used. “They did an artist statement and once submitted then I would take it over to Carmel to have it as part of the show. It takes place at a gallery which means that their artwork would be on display for the whole month for the public to see,” Garcia said.
The main goal for the students was to create something original, with no specific theme or genre. The 4 categories available for them were painting, drawing, mixed media, and sculptures. Senior Jansy Hernandez-Sumano did a piece portraying her mother’s hometown in Oaxaca, which earned 3rd place in the painting category. “I chose to do this piece because it has a very important meaning for me since it portrays a place very dear to my heart,” Hernandez said. “I was surprised that I won, especially because I didn’t know we were in a competition. To my understanding it was just a gallery, but I was grateful to say the least.”
Having more events related to the art field is a way for artists to gain new interest, inspirations and try new things. Since the art show was being held, senior Vanessa Landeros did a piece inspired by Alebrije which is a wooden handicraft type of design. “While visiting Mexico I got inspired by the variety of Alebrije wooden handcraft designs, painted with bright colors and intricate patterns and I liked how each Alebrije was unique because no two were alike,” Landeros said. “In addition, a hobby of mine is watching documentaries and reading articles relating to animals, and I find the cycle of survival in nature fascinating. Therefore, I wanted to recreate the cycle of life between the puma and the hare because the relationship was in one of the most recent documentaries I’ve watched.”
As a part of the show, the artists were able to decide on the amount that they wanted to sell their pieces. “It was up to the artist to decide the pricing, but Carmel did provide a formula for them, it was hourly wage or going based off of the cost of the material along with how many hours were put into the work,” Garcia said. “It was basically how much do you want to be paid for an hour? $12? $18? plus the cost of the material.”
Artists tend to work on their pieces as a hobby, not expecting much. But at times artists like senior Ireland Rodriguez-Lopez are able to gain something from the effort and time put into their artwork. “My piece was $150, however the organization did keep a fraction of the money. I didn’t expect my artwork to be sold since it was more of a personal piece, however, I am still happy that someone took interest in my work,” she said. Rodriguez’s artwork was a charcoal painting of her father and herself connecting to who inspires her. “I wanted to create something dedicated to my dad, he was my inspiration. Art has been a big part of my life. I started drawing when I was around the age of 4 and have always been interested in this field. I would say it’s a crucial part of my identity since it’s the only thing I enjoy and know I’m good at.”
The artist’s work can be viewed on the Carmel Art Association website.
