Youth Art Month celebrated at gallery

By Michael Andrews - Mountain Life Editor on Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Exhibit is up, but new precautions being taken by Gilmer Arts

  • Some of the artwork by Gilmer High School students now on display in a Youth Art Month exhibit at the Gilmer Arts Gallery.
    Some of the artwork by Gilmer High School students now on display in a Youth Art Month exhibit at the Gilmer Arts Gallery.
  • A sculpture by Gilmer High School senior Emma Henderson was chosen Best in Show.
    A sculpture by Gilmer High School senior Emma Henderson was chosen Best in Show.
  • A painting by eighth-grade student Yasmin Guzman-Chavez was the first-place winner at Clear Creek Middle School.
    A painting by eighth-grade student Yasmin Guzman-Chavez was the first-place winner at Clear Creek Middle School.
    Image removed.
    A snowman drawn by first-grade student Ignacio Lucas received an Honorable Mention award for Clear Creek Elementary School.

    A diverse array of artwork created by students at all five Gilmer County schools is now on display at the Gilmer Arts Gallery.

    Youth Art Month is recognized nationwide each March and the local exhibit is expected to remain up for public viewing until April 20.

    The gallery usually hosts an opening reception for family and friends to attend and view the exhibit. Along with several other Gilmer Arts events, the March 13 reception was canceled due to concerns about the Coronavirus. 

    The Gilmer Arts Gallery will remain open for the time being although with different business hours and with an attendance restriction in place. 

    New gallery hours are noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Only 10 visitors or less are being allowed in the gallery at one time.

    Virtual tours, a stay-at-home way to view exhibits now being implemented by several renowned art galleries, are also being used by the local art council as the pandemic continues. A virtual tour of the student art exhibit has been posted online at GilmerArts.com.

     

    ‘Amazed at the talent’

    Youth exhibit entries reflect several different artistic styles and media that have been studied at local schools. 

    “We did several projects with pop art and the introduction of such artists as Wayne Thiebaud, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein,” said Cristy Hensley, art teacher at Clear Creek Middle School. “We also did a unit on autobiography maps with seventh grade that they put a great deal of planning and time into. Sixth graders do a great deal of work with the elements of art and many of their projects deal with line, color theory, value, form, shape, space and texture and implementing all those into their work as much as possible.”

    Students at Mountain View Elementary put their study of influential painters to use in creating Youth Art Month projects.

    “At Gilmer Arts you will find oil pastel and watercolor paintings inspired by Monet, Paulus Potter-inspired paint and chalk pastel cows from the Baroque Period, Watercolor waves inspired by Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave,’ ancient Egyptian scarab beetles and sarcophagus designs, Greek paper vase collages and ‘Blue Dog’ chalk pastel drawings inspired by the contemporary American artist and illustrator George Rodrigue,” explained Mountain View art teacher Misti Foster. 

    Image removed.
    An entry by fourth-grade student Jeremy Martinez-Farfan was the first-place winner at Ellijay Elementary School. 

    Despite the opening reception not taking place, the local art teachers are grateful that students have the opportunity to show their talents to a larger audience via the Gilmer Arts exhibit.

    “The exhibit is beautiful and a lot of work went into its setup. I am glad people are still getting to stop by and see it on their own time in a safe manner,” said Foster.

    “I am so proud of the growth of the students this year. They have been so passionate about making their art. I am so disappointed for my seniors not to get to have the senior year they were expecting, but they are amazing kids and have such kind hearts,” said Gilmer High School art teacher Andrea Handley.

    “I would like to thank the staff at Gilmer Arts for once again supporting our schools for Youth Art Month. In these uncharted times, art and the human need to be creative can help pass time for both children and adults and bring a few minutes of solace into times of worry. I am so proud of my students as well as the other schools that are represented in the show and I am amazed daily at the talent that I see,” noted Hensley.

    Youth Art Month award winners in the following schools are:

    Clear Creek Elementary: First Place: Celia Domingo (third grade), Second: Belinda Pantoja (fifth grade), Third: Aiden McCart (fourth grade), Honorable Mention: Ignacio Lucas (first grade).

    Mountain View Elementary: First Place: Adleigh Wingate (fifth grade), Second: Kristena Bailey (third grade), Third: Joei Marshall (fourth grade), Honorable Mention: Masin Adams (third grade).

    Ellijay Elementary: First Place: Jeremy Martinez-Farfan (fourth grade), Second: Mackenzie Cummings (fifth grade), Third: Natalie Wilcox (third grade), Honorable Mention: Jacob Corum (fourth grade).

    Clear Creek Middle School: First Place: Yasmin Guzman-Chavez (eighth grade), Second: Samantha Weaver (eighth grade), Third: Caden Farist (eighth grade), Honorable Mention: Yasmin Guzman-Chavez (eighth grade).

    Gilmer High School: Best in Show: Emma Henderson (senior), First Place: Audrey Chastain (senior), Second: Maddie Watts (freshman), Third: Willow Newell (senior), Honorable Mention: Angelica Esteban (sophomore).