Above: ADMIRING ART: Clarke Central High School junior Susannah Holbrook-Hill views works featured in the high school pop-up art exhibition “Confluence” at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art on March 26. After taking the Visual Art I class at CCHS, Holbrook-Hill has furthered her artistic skills, and qualified to have her art featured in the exhibit. “I had done art before,” Holbrook-Hill said. “So it was mostly just building upon stuff that I already knew, and just helping me to really refine the basic skills, because that’s really one of the most important things before you get to the big and complicated pieces.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The Athens Institute for Contemporary Art showcased a temporary art exhibition from March 24-31 that features CCSD students’ art.
Walking through the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA), viewers can see a wide variety of art, such as photography and sculptures, created by CCSD students in a first-ever pop-up exhibition titled “Confluence”.
“ATHICA is delighted to present an exhibition of work by the high school student artists in the Clarke County School District. Coordinated by the Arts Faculty of Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals High Schools and the Fine Arts Curriculum Coordinator (Dan Smith), the exhibition is presented as part of National Youth Art Month, an annual observance in March that celebrates the importance of art education and encourages the creative expression of young people,” an ATHICA press release stated.
For junior Susannah Holbrook-Hill, this event was a new experience and featured work created in her Visual Art I class at Clarke Central.
“I’ve never had my work shown in a place with a bunch of other people,” Holbrook-Hill said. “They were kind of just assignments, but as I go along the timeline of making them, it’s a representation of how I’ve grown as an artist. Just going from just random scribbles and coloring things into just full surrealism, like 3D stuff.”
“I’ve never had my work shown in a place with a bunch of other people. They were kind of just assignments, but as I go along the timeline of making them, it’s a representation of how I’ve grown as an artist. Just going from just random scribbles and coloring things into just full surrealism, like 3D stuff.”
— Susannah Holbrook-Hill,
Visual Art I student
Sophomore Flannery Ragan created both a photography piece and colored pencil drawings that were displayed at the gallery and was happy for the experience.
“In Photography (I), I take pictures all the time, even outside of the projects that we have in class. Then (for) the colored pencil, I worked on it a lot outside of school also, just so that it could be very detailed,” Ragan said. “It’s cool to be able to say, ‘Oh, I’ve had stuff in a gallery’ and maybe I’ll have more opportunities in the future to show more work.”
Clarke Central High School sophomore Flannery Ragan admires the artwork on display at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA) on March 26. As a joint project with art classes at CCHS and Cedar Shoals High School, ATHICA has displayed works from over 100 students, including Ragan. “It’s cool to be able to say, ‘Oh, I’ve had stuff in a gallery,” Ragan said. “Maybe I’ll have more opportunities in the future to show more work.” Click the photo to view the album in Flickr! Photos and story by Wyatt Meyer
UGA student Chelsea Wilson attended the exhibit and recognized not only the students’ art but the impact of having this artistic opportunity.
“I took art all throughout high school. I wish I had the opportunity to do something like this because it’s something that you remember as a student in high school,” Wilson said. “I think it’s really cool how the students are able to really bring their own perspective and vision to life through the different techniques of art that they have here.”
For Smith, CCSD Fine Arts, Health, and PE Curriculum Coordinator, the event provided an opportunity to celebrate creative processes and a means for viewers to engage with the work of CCSD students.
“We want to create an immersive and inspiring environment that encourages visitors to connect with the artwork and the artists themselves,” Smith stated in a press release. “We hope that these exhibitions will foster a greater appreciation for the arts and inspire our youth to continue pursuing their creative passions.”
