Clarke Central High School junior Daniel Garcia-Pozo holds a portrait he drew of his mother in front of the CCHS Ceremonial Entrance on Feb. 11. Garcia-Pozo says his mother was a major supporter of his artistic passion. “Someone I would say encouraged my love for art would be my mother,” Garcia-Pozo said. “She would always tell me to keep doing what I enjoyed and to keep getting better at it because she knew how much I loved it.” Photo by Elena Gilbertson Hall
The Clarke Central High School National Art Honor Society initiated an art project to honor the 100-year anniversary of the 19th amendment.
In the month of March, 100 portraits of women created by Clarke Central High School students will be on display at the Athens-Clarke County Library. This exhibition was spearheaded by the CCHS National Art Honor Society in order to celebrate the centennial of the 19th amendment’s passage.
“2020 is the hundred year anniversary for the 19th Amendment, which gave initially just White women the right to vote, that’s how it was interpreted, but it ended up being open to other women. (NAHS) is approaching that as a celebration for all women,” CCHS fine arts department teacher Amanda Price said.
According to Price, the artistic prompt was fairly loose in order to allow students to create portraits of many types of women.
“It’s about recognizing these people made a significant impact in the world, and that’s not something most history books would tell you.
— Daniel Garcia-Pozo,
NAHS member and junior
“Students had a call for portraits of significant women, either from history or from contemporary times, like from their daily lives. Some students chose their mother, grandmother, historical figures (or) musical artists, and (each student) created some sort of portrait,” Price said.
NAHS member and junior Daniel Garcia-Pozo drew a portrait of his mother.
“I chose to draw my mother because she is one of the most significant women to me in my life — one of the most significant people in my life. She would always encourage me (and) support me when I was feeling down,” Garcia-Pozo said. “She was always very special to me, and she definitely made me who I am today.”
Garcia-Pozo hopes viewers of the portraits will come away with a greater appreciation of the impacts made by women of all eras, nationalities and professions.
“I think it’s personally important to appreciate (women throughout history) — and that’s what the project is all about,” Garcia-Pozo said. “It’s about recognizing these people made a significant impact in the world, and that’s not something most history books would tell you.”
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