By Amy Al-Katib
Leader Intern
Students in the Advanced Senior Studio class at Oxford High School held their annual Senior Showcase on Thursday, May 21 from 5-7 p.m.
Several schools have cut art from their curriculum in an attempt to overcome the current economic decline.
But, OHS has found other ways to manage their budget while still allowing students the opportunity to express themselves creatively through art. The teachers, students and parents of Oxford view art as an essential part of education.
‘Most of the students will not major in art,? said Michelle Whalen, the art teacher at OHS. ‘However, the teamwork, the camaraderie, the confidence, the creativity and the energy are so important.?
For the Senior Showcase, students display their work from each year, and some students even include pieces they did in middle school. ‘It’s everything you’ve ever done in art,? said Ashley Gross, a member of the Advanced Senior Studio class.
The students choose which pieces to include, and they create their own display, just as an artist would for an exhibit.
This year’s themes ranged from tie-dye to fifties, and jungle to living room settings.
‘My favorite part about the art show is all the creativity they put in their displays,? said Robin Dimeglio, whose daughter, Amber, was in the show. ‘They really put a lot of work into it and add their own flare,? she said.
Dimeglio supports the arts in education and believes that it is completely necessary.
‘We need to make art a bigger part of our schools,? she said. ‘So much focus is on athletics, but we have so many gifted kids, and they need to be able to express themselves.?
Sarah Potter and Andrea Woody worked together on their display. Potter dressed as the wife and displayed her art in the kitchen, and Woody dressed as the husband and displayed her art on the mantel. The two dressed in fifties style clothing, some of which they had to borrow from the prop room.
‘We really put ourselves out there,? said Potter. ‘The energy and the creativity of the whole class was just amazing,? she said.
Though most students would agree with Potter, they also added that designing the display was the most stressful part.
‘It counts as our final,? said Gross.
Whalen thinks it’s important to do something like this rather than an in-class assignment because the students are able to see their progression and to see their work as art. ‘It’s also important for the underclassmen,? she said. It gives them something to look forward to and a reason to stay in art.
‘Just knowing that they can reach inside and pull out a great idea is the icing on the cake,? said Whalen.