The most talented artists of Arcadia High School (AHS) are finally all coming together at the Art Exhibition. Being the fourth annual art exhibition since COVID-19 had struck, this is a big deal for the artists of AHS as this is the first time in two years they are able to showcase their work to a live audience of people which is an amazing thing to be able to do as it was taken away from them. All the visual arts teachers are beyond excited about this event, and the creators have been working on their pieces since the beginning of this year. From Mar. 29 through Mar. 31 each day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the exhibition is open to the public for viewing to all Arcadia students as well as staff and any others who are interested. 

“This is really kind of the first time in a couple of years where we’ve been able to showcase all of our student’s work in the visual arts program,” said Animation teacher Ms. Ma. “We’re showcasing artwork just from every single class that we offer, so it’s really exciting to see a diverse range of talent.”

There are art pieces from all different visual arts classes, ranging from Ceramics to Screen Printing and artwork from Art 1 and Art Honors. With the broad selection of unique and spectacular art pieces to observe, the art exhibition is an event that is not like any other. Included in this wide range of artwork is shown through a big canvas created by Art Honors student, junior Daphne Satyo. 

“My partner Phoenix and I actually created this specific piece of work for the art exhibition,” said Satyo. “We didn’t want to use traditional methods of painting, so we used palette knives and oil paints to create it. We wanted to create a landscape that was virtually untouched by humanity. The only sign that humans had been there is the tents on the far right. It’s really humbling to see my classmate’s artwork, yet I’m really excited to go to see the art exhibition mostly because there are just so many talented people at our school, and it’s finally time to see what everyone has been working on all year.”

Colorful works of art are arranged across the exhibition, each with different meanings behind it. Eye-catching art pieces include those created by Ceramics students with their take on the masks through differing colors and contrasts. For those who are interested in photography, the exhibition also includes snapshots of students, nature, and artistic takes on everyday objects, putting reality into perspective.

“I feel like a lot of the time people focus on core subjects and neglect the visual arts and what the students have to offer,” said Ms. Ma. “I really hope that people will be able to come and enjoy the amazing artwork that is displayed by our students and also be inspired by it.” 

From the wide range of art pieces that were showcased, there were specific students who won awards for the renowned talent in their creativity. Awards were given for each art category and were announced at the closing reception during spring preview: 

Art 1 – Chaoyue He (Untitled Portrait)

Graphic Design – Staffi Huang (Tokyo Poster)

Screen Printing – Kate De Prima (Have Your Cake) 

Art & Music – Enchi Huang (Autumn Leaves)

Photography – Aaron Lynch (A Peaceful Swing)

Design – Chuyin Zhang (Traditional Bedroom)

Ceramics – Joshua Liu (DeLorean from Back to the Future)

Adv. Drawing & Painting – Cadence Chen (Perspective Through a Mouth)

Animation – Hayato Sugiyama (Extraterrestrials)

Classic Film- Kerra Sandey, Kamea Vongfak, Evangeline Huang, Nic Garcia (Creep)

Art Honors – Iris Xu

The Principal Awards went to  Alessandra Roney in Ceramics, and Heather Zeng in Art Honors. “Best in Show” won by Ashely Wei in Art Honors.

In a school filled with talented artists, this is truly a really exciting event to go to. It is available during school hours as well as during Spring Preview, Mar. 31, at 6:30 p.m., being open to anyone who would like to attend. Take the time out of your day to go check out and support these talented creators, and appreciate the work of the individuals at our school!