Detailed canvases stood propped on easels, intricate pottery projects sat in rows on tables, and photos and illustrations were pinned to display panels in the art plaza, as is done in the art department’s usual shows; only, this time, the door of every art classroom was open for viewers to step behind the scenes, a feature of their first ever joint art show and open house, May 21.
With participation from Ceramics, Graphic Design, Drawing & Painting, Design and Mixed Media, and AP Photography and Digital Photography classes, the show highlighted the different courses by featuring a mix of incomplete pieces, class projects, and works bound for the San Diego County Fair’s annual competition.
Milly Christopher (11), whose AP Photography and Design & Mixed Media works were showcased, said that the classes’ preparation gave students the full experience of putting on an art show.
“We were preparing for it for like two weeks, I think,” Christopher said. “We spent time mounting [pieces] onto a board, and then we had to put them up. We got the chance to learn new skills — for example, a lot of people got to learn how to mount photos during this and how to get your art ready to be presented in a show.”
The plaza display focused on the most elaborate and unique projects from assignments like Design & Mixed Media’s saran-wrap people and Drawing & Painting’s large-piece final. For example, Eliana Habib (11) and Emily Tu (12) were recognized for the two-month creation of their saran-wrap person, “Marie Antoinette.”
“Our assignment was installation art, so we got the idea of making a paper dress to represent a teacher,” Habib said. “She reminded us of Marie Antoinette so that’s why we named her that, [and] I felt it really reminded me of the vintage Dior style so [it represented] fashion. It was interesting [to see it displayed] and I felt people were confused because it was very different then everything else showcased in the art show—it was definitely eye-catching.”
On the flip side, the classrooms showcased works in progress.
“We wanted to be able to show off the things that maybe weren’t fully completed yet, but we’re still working on, or to show the process of us doing some of the things,” Christopher said. “I think that the way that we did it with the open house made it a lot easier on everyone because there wasn’t the pressure of having to finish a piece in time for it, you just could show what you were working on, so that was a lot more enjoyable.”
Students also ran demos that photography student Annabelle Phillips (10), who ran a photography demo, said gave attendees a better understanding of each class.
“The demos are just to show you the intricacy,” Phillips said. “A lot of people think [in photography classes] we just [take a photo] and turn it in, [but] not only do we have to use Lightroom, but we have to use Photoshop, so [the demos] show you how we use it, show you the process of making photos.”
Drawing & Painting student Sabrina Sieck (10) said that these demos also highlighted the effort of the people behind the pieces.
“I think it’s a really great way to see these are actually real people who are doing these things,” Sieck said. “Sometimes it’s easy to just look at an artwork and say, ‘Wow,’ and then move on, but actually seeing the artists doing it and seeing the beginning stages or the middle stages of paintings in progress, I feel like it adds this sort of realness.”
Additionally, to recognize the most outstanding artists, the art teachers created a scavenger hunt with questions that led attendees through the five rooms in search of classroom elements and specific students’ unique works.
“It was a lot more immersive I think than our other shows,” Christopher said. “The scavenger hunt included stuff from every single class, and it was more interactive because they didn’t say what class each thing was for, so I heard a lot of people asking the students in the class, ‘What are you guys doing? Is this paper mache? Is this both 3D and 2D?’ — that kind of stuff.”
These interactive elements brought current Wolverines, incoming freshmen, and friends of the artists to the show.
“My favorite part [is] seeing people actually interacting, because during the class times, they force you to go see it, so my favorite part is looking at it with my friends and seeing other people around me also enjoying it too,” Phillips said. “We also got interactions from students from middle school who are going to come into [Westview] and I heard them go, ‘I’m joining this class.’ It made me feel like my legacy would continue.”
Design and Mixed Media student Kit Cardoso (11) said this support is key to the future of Westview’s art programs, which they said is important for student expression.
“The art department of our school is not the most supported department, but then also art is just such a big part of expressing who you are and [your] ideas and beliefs — art is super important,” Cardoso said. “In general, I get that grades are important, but if you just ignore the arts entirely, you’re ignoring a huge portion of life.”
Christopher said that in addition to drawing support for the classes, the show was a fulfilling conclusion to the artists’ year.
“I think because we did it in an open-house style, it was really rewarding to get our friends and family to see some of the work that may take us longer to complete,” Christopher said. “This experience was all-around rewarding [because we get] to see all the amazing things our artists created that sometimes are just not thought about.”
