Clarke Central High School sophomore Sofia Morales poses in front of her artwork (top) titled “Fever Dream” showcased at the Lyndon House Arts Center on Oct. 18. Morales felt rewarded after her artwork was featured in the exhibit and inspireding her as an artist. “It’s motivated me to go back to doing more traditional art,” Morales said. “I did a good amount of digital art, which is fun, but I like drawing with a pen, I like shading and I like painting more now than I did last year.” Photo by Victoria Garland
The public was invited to the Lyndon House Art Center’s Student Art Exhibition Opening Reception on Oct. 18, where 217 works of art from K-12 artists across the Clarke County School District were showcased.
The Lyndon House Arts Center (LHAC) hosted the opening reception for its annual Clarke County School District Student Art Exhibition on Oct. 18, which displayed student artwork and live music courtesy of the Clarke Central High School Orchestra.
The reception, which was held a week after the beginning of the two-month-long exhibition, is the result of two years of collaboration between 20 K-12 CCSD art teachers and the LHAC.
“(For students) this is a look into what (it’s like) to be an artist professionally. You have gorgeous work that is framed (and) illuminated on beautiful gallery walls, labels with your name and the title of your work and a catalog in which your (art) is photographed and labeled,” LHAC program and facility supervisor Didi Dunphy said.
Dunphy also stressed the importance of the LHAC’s role as a prominent creative outlet for CCSD youth.
“(The LHAC tries) to elevate the professional stature of being an artist, advocate for the arts (and) arts education in our community and amplify those voices that are engaging in (the arts),” Dunphy said.
Every year’s exhibition has a theme, decided in coordination with the fine arts department teachers of the county and the LHAC, which drives the focus of in-class lessons and artwork that is eventually submitted for display.
“(CCSD teachers and) the Lyndon House chose the theme ‘Re-’, (which is about) coming back after the pandemic and reintegrating into (the) community,” Barnett Shoals Elementary School art department teacher Elizabeth Bush said. “We explored (this theme) with our kids (through) all (the) ways (they’re) reconnecting with their peers, friends, and teachers and broadening that to find a fresh new perspective.”
CCHS’ representation included sophomore Sofia Morales and her artwork “Fever Dream.” Morales explained the process behind her featured piece.
“It started with just an astronaut, and moved to it being more (about) the setting that astronaut was in. I kept adding more and more things. At one point, it was hard because everything had to be different shades of gray and I had to choose different shades for each object,” Morales said.
A sculpture titled “Is it Noticeable?” by Clarke Central High School class of 2022 graduate Emma Scott sits on its display base at the Lyndon House Arts Center on Oct. 18. The LHAC, using public funds, serves as a facility for community outreach and engagement with the arts without the burdens of being a private organization. “(LHAC is) civically funded, (meaning by) taxpayers, which is wonderful,” LHAC program and facility supervisor Didi Dunphry said. “I come from a field where I had to raise money for an electric bill and staff salaries, so we’re very lucky to have a community that values (the) arts.” Photo by Victoria Garland
Click on the photo to see the full gallery!
The reception also attracted many parents and families attending in support of their children, among whom was Chase Street Elementary School (CSES) parent and CSES school library media specialist Tanya Hudson.
“(The exhibition) is really amazing. This is such a beautiful space and such a great event,” Hudson said. “It’s so neat to see people from all over the district coming together and seeing their kids’ art.”
To CCSD K-12 fine arts, health and physical education curriculum coordinator Dan Smith, this exhibition serves as a demonstration of the strength of art programs in the district.
“This is a way to unify everything,” Smith said. “To have a space like this (means the district has) quite a reach. With (so many) artists (represented), we’ve got quite a few families that come, so it’s a visible example of what we do with the arts in Clarke County.”
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