The Irvington High School’s free entry wet paint art show in the Black box galley is open from October 23 to November 1. There is no shortage of creative works from the student body, with a variety of works from all art levels, painting, drawing, sculpture, and digital imaging on display, but among them, one piece stood out immediately: a painted Crosley Cruiser record player sitting in the back of the room.
The event is known for bringing the department together in a way few others do. Ms. Parker, who teaches Art 1, Painting, AP Art and Design, and Studio art, emphasized that the event is a collective effort. “Although I am the department chair, the art shows are always like a collaborative event,” she said. “There’s a high level of participation on the part of all the teachers in the department that makes it extra vibrant and an extensive representation of all the cool things going on in the art classes here.”
Ms. Parker shared that organizing the show requires commitment and coordination from everyone involved. “It always takes an effort to do it. It takes time to prepare everything and to advertise and publicize,” she said. “It can be a challenge juggling that along with all the other teaching responsibilities.”
Still, she believes the effort is worth it when she sees how students respond. “The students look forward to showcasing their work,” Parker said. “They really put their best foot forward in terms of pushing themselves, you know, out of their comfort zones and just like working as hard as they possibly can to showcase their skills.”
Fellow art teacher Ms. Barrett, who teaches for the courses art one and two, contributed several projects from her classes to this year’s exhibition. “Specificallt, i contributed the Art 2 kid’s charcoal pumpkins, their one point perspective hallways of Irvington,” she explained. “They got to take the hallway and imagine and transform it into something a little more, less ordinary than a hallway. And for Art 1, they got to transform a room into anything they wanted.”
Barret also introduced a new project to the show: the Crosley Cruiser Record Player Contest, a national art competition. “It ran from August until last week, and we entered for $2,500, hopefully for our classroom to get new stools. It was a group effort of my Art 2 kids collaborating, creating something around the theme of Band Together, and they had painted it accordingly. Hopefully we’ll know in the next couple of weeks if we win or not.”
The finished record player, painted a bright teal and covered with detailed designs, quickly became one of the most eye-catching pieces in the exhibition. “We wanted to display the record player to show students that they could do art on more than just canvas and paper,” Barrett said. “Apply skills onto objects too, and create art on things people have in their homes for display that also serve a purpose, to think outside the box or in this case, off a sheet of paper.”
Both teachers agree that the art show inspires the next generation of artists. “A lot of the students see that artwork, and they get inspired and want to take art, too, or maybe even AP Studio or Painting class,” Barrett said.
From traditional drawings to innovative projects, this year’s art show fully captured the creativity and collaboration of all the students and staff involved.
