(New Bedford) - Imagine having your artwork displayed as part of a major show! For GLCPS students, this is a reality, as some of their pieces are being featured in the Arts-Wellness-Technology, or AWT, Student Showcase. This show will not only feature pieces of art from Ms. Schusser’s and Mr. Vechiarrelli’s art classes. It will also highlight wellness and technology. At first, these subjects might not seem connected to art, but GLCPS health teacher Ms. McCormic and technology teacher Ms. St. Don agree that they are indeed connected.
What makes this art show even more exciting is that it is taking place at the New Bedford Art Museum. Opening Night coincides with April’s AHA! Night next Thursday, April 10. The entire body of work will be on display until April 24th
(As an aside, students in the Roots and Shoots Club will also be participating in AHA! Night. April’s theme is Project Planet. Club members are preparing to participate in the annual Planet Procession, a long-standing tradition of April’s AHA! Night.)
All pieces of art in this show are exceptional, but there are two students who stand out to Ms. Schusser. Despite their lack of experience working with clay, both Veronika Horsky and Lily Howard created beautiful pieces. “Both students have not been working with clay very long but were determined and focused to complete their pieces, even working through the technical struggles,” Ms. Schusser said.
When it comes to technology, art can be created in many ways using digital tools and software. The show will feature a variety of digital artwork, including “pixel art, book covers, name collages, and logos for students,” explained Ms. St. Don. The art style she chose for her 5th graders was especially unique: using Google Sheets to create pixel art. While Google Sheets isn’t typically seen as an artistic tool, Ms. St. Don said these students excelled in using it creatively. For Ms. St. Don, the importance of technology in art is clear, “I wanted to be sure to showcase that you can also create art using technology,” she explained. With technology constantly changing, she hopes to show how it can be a part of art.
The work of four students from Ms. McCormic’s health class is also being featured in the student showcase. Their pieces show the effects of substance abuse on different organs in the body. Each of the students contributed in important ways to the project. “Some students were creative, enjoyed the artistic side of the project, some enjoyed doing the research, some enjoyed communicating the research they made, others enjoyed presenting the project,” she explained. Through this project, she hopes both students and viewers will take away important lessons about substance abuse while also feeling proud of the work being presented.
There’s a lot to look forward to at the AWT Student Showcase. The students put a great amount of effort into their projects, and each piece reflects their hard work and creativity. Whether digital, educational, or simply for fun, this show proves that art truly is for everyone.
Ms. Schusser hopes with the inclusion of technology and health in the showcase, students will be able to see that creativity spreads beyond art and can be applied in any subject. She leaves with a message for readers, “Go out and be creative! Take an art class, go to museums and art galleries whenever you can. For the world would be a dull place without art.”
Opening Night is Thursday, April 10 from 5 - 9 pm. The exhibit can also be viewed any time during the museum’s regular hours.
Kyle Keough is a senior at GLCPS. As part of his senior internship program, he is writing news articles for and about the GLCPS community.
