Northwood’s visual arts program currently has 14 senior students. These students have persevered throughout the pandemic to continue creating artwork that speaks to how they feel and what they have experienced.
“My work from this year was greatly inspired by COVID-19 and times in quarantine,” senior Virginia Villanueva said. “So I think that it will always serve to remind me of these times and the type of emotions that I was feeling.”
With the return of in-person instruction, the Visual Arts Department has set up a senior art display to showcase seniors’ artwork. Through the remainder of the year, all 14 seniors’ works will be rotated in and out of the display.
Work from the following students will be included in the display on a rotating basis: Jaden Armstrong, Emma Belcher, Elizabeth Cremeans, Caroline Dorshimer, Aoife Leigh, Rafael Mantovani, Zoe Munoz, Glenn Porter, Caroline Puckett, Caroline Scholer, Emily Smith, Ella Sullivan, Tamara Rasch and Virginia Villanueva.
Throughout the artists’ time at Northwood, their artmaking processes and ideas have evolved.
“The focus of my AP Art inquiry was basically the positive, good things that I have going in my life and what I have achieved,” senior Caroline Puckett said. “Because in previous years, my inquiry was based around the bad things that have happened to me and what I have failed at which was just not fun to make art about.”
Fellow senior artist Caroline Scholer agrees.
“Honestly my work from this year means a lot to me; it’s been really hard to stick with this inquiry and share my work with others,” Scholer said. “I’ve learned that with the price of picking a very personal topic for your inquiry, it allows you to create some very vulnerable and sentimental work, and being able to share it with others and have the support has helped me a lot.”
The presentation of artwork in person means a lot to senior artists and other members of the visual arts department.
“I think people should come and see our senior art display because it is work that their fellow peers have been making and have spent a lot of time doing,” Puckett said. “We may not play instruments or practice football on the field, but we do get out our energy by creating and making passionate work.”
Seeing in-person artwork is also a refreshing mix-up after over a year of distance learning.
“It’s nice seeing physical things in person after being clouded with digital content while at home,” Villanueva said.
To see the senior art display, visit the display cases at the front entrance of the school closest to the gym. Be sure to check out the display frequently so as to not miss out on the rotating artwork.
