The Air Academy high school art students were able to showcase their art ability this last weekend in the art program showcase. Many art students got to express themselves through their drawings and paintings. A lot of art pieces had a different story and meaning to each one.

The art program was an open house of the students’ art work. Different kinds of art and sculptures were hung up and on display for anyone to come and see what art pieces they liked the most. At the end of the showcase, Mrs. Graybill handed out various different awards for the students’ art pieces. Multiple students also got awards for the story telling that their art piece expressed in their work.

“I participated in the art program because it is a huge part of how I understand myself, making art and getting to express myself through art keeps me in touch with my emotions and how I am reacting to the world around me,” Eli Hidly a senior stated.

Not only were they able to express their art skills they were able to show through their art how they feel about certain things. Hildy drawings were a lot of abstraction and contemporary influences to help him process anger and sadness in his personal life.

“ The goal of the art showcase is to allow students to express themselves through art while being able to show their art skills. I was very pleased with the turnout we got for the art show,” Mrs. Graybill stated.

The art program focused on being able to showcase art talent, but was more focused on being able to allow students to express themselves without being judged. Some students who participated did multiple paintings or drawings to express themselves. Many had drawings that showed how they were able to handle any situation they have faced in their personal life.

“I did it for a contest, it was titled a still life. It was the best way to express a certain aspect of my life, ” Grace Webring, a sophomore, expressed.

Grace’s title was inspired by the way that drawing allows her to express that when she does her art that everything is still within her life. She explained to me that art is the best way for her to express the struggles in her life.

Grace’s drawing was a colored pencil drawing of two canine skulls titled a still life. In her drawing the skulls are formed together and are laid on its side. Grace used white color pencils to be able to make the drawing happen while also using black cardboard paper. She chose this kind of paper because it helped make her drawing stand out more than it would on normal paper. 

There were many great drawings at the art program, whether it was paintings or colored pencil drawings. Everyone who participated had something unique about their art piece that made it different from the rest of the students who participated. The art program was able to allow the students to express their life story through their art work making every piece unique.