Utica Community Schools host a district Art Fair every year and it just so happened that this year, it was hosted on May 13th,14th, and 15th at Sterling Heights Community Center. This beloved tradition has gone on for years, showcasing Macomb’s best and brightest as far as creativity is concerned. As the school year comes to a close, it was time to take a closer look at what is the future of artistic expression.
One main component of art is the sharing of techniques and styles to make art more accessible to everybody.
“I think being able to share artwork to other districts and compare and contrasting to figure out how to make artwork better and gain new skills through seeing what other people do with their art is very valuable to an artist.” senior Kaylee Somers said. “It helps them grow and is very beautiful. My classroom’s artwork being there, specifically Samantha Cross, and seeing the artwork displayed makes us feel very special.”
The ability to combine ideas to create a visualization of those thoughts and emotions is one that is rare but flourishing in Utica Community Schools. Friends pat each other on the back as they grow more and more proud of their hard work.
“I loved seeing the different styles and mediums people succeed in,” senior Samantha Cross said. “It’s cool to see the level of art students are at and how much they have improved if they have more than one piece in there.”
Many found joy in staring at other’s pieces, but there is something extraordinary about seeing how others may interpret art totally different from what was expected.
“It’s cool that you get to see everyone’s stuff,” sophomore Nathan Elder said. “I created a baby with a tuxedo and stuff on its head because I thought it looked cool.”
Anybody can be an artist with just a bit of effort and perseverance. Sophomore Lianna Stacy joined teacher Jennifer Allore’s Drawing/Painting 1 class and fell in love with all things involving paint.
“It made me feel like a good artist and not just in my head.” Stacy said. “I love painting and noticed I wanted to do more of it after this year because I was so inspired.”
When learning how to use the many mediums in art, many students at the show used world politics as their muse. From portraits to these deep studies on human behavior, the art show had it all.
“There were a ton portraits and paintings,” junior Mary Lubien said. “There was one with a gas mask around the world along with little factories. The world themes shown in the art were really cool.”
The people viewing this art weren’t just family members, there were artists from all over the district. The variety of people seen in this beautiful display showed how uniting art can truly be.
“There were tons of artsy people there; I could just tell they’re artists and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty,” sophomore Nia Dotson said. “I feel like you can always find pieces of art all strung together like a network. We all are connected in art.”
As this connection spread through the students, families, and visitors like a web, there was a hope for more from one of the art teachers, Erin Woodall.
“It’s actually really cool to see family come to see their kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews,” Woodall said. “The only thing I do wish is that we had more support from those above us but otherwise it’s a great show and everyone who puts it on does a great job.”
What a wonderful tradition to end the year with a bang! Let this be a call to action for those who missed out on this fantastic event this year to find it next year. It’s never too late to learn to understand the magic of this craft. Art is timeless.
