WORTHINGTON — From drawings and paintings to ceramics and stained glass, the exhibits entered in the annual Worthington High School Student Art Show run the gamut of artistic expression.
The show opens with an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Nobles County Art Center, located in the lower level of the War Memorial Building, 407 12th St., Worthington. All are welcome to attend, view the artwork, meet the artists and enjoy refreshments. The show will remain in place through March 31, and is open during Art Center hours, from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The student art show corresponds with Youth Art Month, celebrated annually in March. The local show features the works of Worthington High School and Learning Center students. All of the pieces were created during the past year, and several of them are available for purchase.
Jose Flores, a WHS senior, is exhibiting for the third time in this year’s show, having participated as a freshman and sophomore as well. This year’s entry is a suncatcher he designed to look like Chucky from the horror film Child’s Play. The work of art was created in his stained glass class last quarter at the high school.
“My art is something that I love, and horror drama is what I love the most,” Flores shared. “I like the simplified version of Chucky without the scars and blood.”
ADVERTISEMENT
With plans to pursue the arts — film and acting — after high school, Flores is enrolled in art classes at the high school and at Minnesota West Community & Technical College. He filled three roles and performed with the band in the high school musical, “Hello Dolly” last week, and hopes to participate in theater at the college as well.
“Expression is something I’ve always loved,” he said.
Evi Garcia is participating in the student art show for the first time this year. As a senior, she’s filling some of her electives with art classes this year, including introduction to stained glass and advanced stained glass. Her entries in the show include a suncatcher featuring the sun and moon together, as well as a mosaic of two characters from her favorite show, Supernatural.
The mosaic of two men in cowboy hats, she said, reminds her mother of two of Garcia’s deceased uncles.
“I enjoy the process of it, from rough drafts to sketches to picking out what you want,” Garcia said of the stained glass class. “It was so cool to pick out glass and she (teacher Heather Knigge) just let us take over.”
Garcia’s plans after high school are to attend Southwest Minnesota State University with thoughts of pursuing a degree to be a high school English teacher.
“Sacred Mary’s Heart” is the title of the mosaic WHS senior Citlali Chavez Vega has entered into the show. She said she’s literally put her blood, sweat and tears into the piece — and more blood than any of the others.
“I had so many cuts on my fingers,” she said. “Some pieces were just so hard to cut just right. The amount of times I cut something wrong was super frustrating.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Chavez Vega said she came in during Christmas break to complete her piece in time for entry in the Augustana University High School Invitational art show, which was on exhibit for the month of January. Her mosaic earned second place among approximately 75 entries.
“I’ve always enjoyed art,” she said, noting that she’s taken art classes every year of high school, and is also enrolled in art classes at Minnesota West. When she isn’t in a class, she’s in the art room helping out.
This is her second appearance in the local student art show. Last year she exhibited two ceramics pieces.
As much as she loves art, Chavez Vega is considering majoring in either chemistry or psychology at the University of Minnesota, where she’s already been accepted. Art will be her minor — and her stress reliever.
Destiny Alexis Bueno also intends to minor in art at the University of Minnesota while majoring in political science. She has three pieces in the student art show — an intentionally imperfect ceramics piece, a drawing that features a bubble coming out of a woman’s lips with a fish inside the bubble, and an oil pastel drawing of a jellyfish in blues, purples and pink on black paper.
“I like seeing the other students’ artwork because it’s really underground,” Bueno said. “I appreciate their work — it’s really good.”
She also likes to display her own artistic skill, and enjoys seeing people’s reactions to her art.
“Go to the art show,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Trust Project
