The Johnson Center for the Arts is hosting the TroyFest Art Show and the Charles Henderson High School Senior Art Show through the last weekend in April and everyone is invited.
Everyone? To an art show?
“Come on now. Art’s not for everyone,” some people will say. “What is art anyway?’
According to the Oxford Dictionary, art is quality, production, expression according to aesthetic principles of what is beautiful, appealing or of more than ordinary significance.
Mr. Webster defines art as something that is created with imagination and skill.
The Urban Dictionary defines art as something that creates an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art.
Pam Smith, CHHS art instructor, has the best definition of art. “Just come see.”
The TroyFest Student Art Show features the artwork from schools all across the county, Pike County High School, Troy City Schools and Pike Liberal Arts School.
“This show has five age divisions, K-12 and includes drawings, paintings, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture,” Smith said. “The sixth through 12th grade division also includes photography and computer imaging.”
Smith said she is impressed with the quality and diversity of the work.
“The artwork at all levels is very good, and it’s a fun and interesting exhibit of student artwork from kindergarten children to high school seniors,” she said.
Smith said first, second and third place will be awarded in each medium and each grade level.
“There will be ‘best of show’ awards for each medium in each grade level,” she said. “The winners of those awards will receive special recognition and a special ribbon. Their teachers will receive a $100 donation to be used to purchase art supplies for their classrooms. CGI in Troy is the sponsor of this year’s TroyFest Art Show.”
The TroyFest Student Art Show is exhibited in the upper level galleries of the Johnson Center for the Art along with the CHHS Senior Art Show.
Smith said 31 of the senior art students have at least two years of art instruction and have maintained an “A” average. By so doing, they have earned the honor of membership in the National Art Honor Society and will wear gold chords at graduation.
“Several of these art honor students have taken art for four years and three of them are AP students,” she said. “They will receive college credit based on their comprehensive portfolios.”
Smith said the senior students have a variety of artwork on display and work in different mediums. Their artwork is individualist and impressive.
Maggie Tisdale is an AP senior art student who manipulates her paintings on the computer to achieve a layered look that is distinctive “Tisdale.”
Jordan Jacques, a four-year art student, creates high-contrast, black and white images based on photographs.
Ashlyn Johnson, an art-three student, provides a symbolic glimpse into her lifestyle with a revealing self-portrait.
“Ashlyn’s self-portrait includes one-inch blocks of personal information,” Smith said. “She is a cheerleader and a gymnast. She is active at Xtreme Athletics and that is evident in her art piece.”
Smith often encourages her students to use abstract themes. Third-year art student Kymbra Ross’ watercolor is an example of student abstract art.
“After these theme paintings were finished, the students were to spray them with water to achieve a dripping effect,” Smith said. “Kymbra’s watercolor is of two large eyes dripping colorful tears.”
Ross’ sister, Kate Ross, also an art-three student, captured a “moment in time” at an art museum in Paris while on a school-sponsored spring trip.
Inside the museum was a large railroad station-type clock. Two men were standing there and Ross’ camera caught the moment at a most opportune time.
Jessica Large, a fourth-year and AP art student, uses the computer to manipulate her artwork. In one piece, she used a self-portrait, a graffiti wall in a previous painting and a computer generated rose in concert to create a very nice piece of artwork, Smith said.
Malik McClendon accepted the challenge of using the same three images to create a work of art. His “Trees” met and exceeded the challenge.
“We are excited to have so many entries in the TroyFest Art Show,” she said. “It’s one of the best. And, I’m always proud of our CHHS senior art students and appreciate their hard work and dedication. We invite everyone to visit the student art shows at the Johnson Center for the Arts through the last weekend in April.”
The Johnson Center is located on East Walnut Street in downtown Troy. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and until 3 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.