From March 17-20, the Newbury Park High School [NPHS] cafeteria came to life as it was lined with works of art from various students taking art classes at Newbury. The annual art show provides an opportunity for students involved in one of the many art or photography classes to showcase their special works of art and, in turn, personal aspects of their culture and identity. The Art Show also fosters an opportunity for students not in an art class as well as parents to see the students’ featured artwork.
Testing out the world of art in her freshman year, Shreeya Patel, sophomore, took a chance on art at NPHS and instantly fell in love. Currently, she is taking the life drawing class with Jennifer Lee, and she most enjoys getting to express herself creatively without using words. This year, Patel submitted two pieces for the art show. “I submitted a color pencil of a person eating, and then I submitted this word art based on a quote from a book. In the first piece, it’s my brother who’s eating, who I clipped while he was eating. And of course, it’s my brother. I really like to showcase his personality while eating the food. It conveys that kind of connection […] and shows sibling dynamics,” Patel said.
Influenced by her own enthusiasm for art and following in her mom’s footsteps, Leah Muger, junior, has always had a love for art and continues pursuing her passion at NPHS. Part of being in International Baccalaureate [IB] Visual Arts requires students to be a part of the art show so they can showcase what they have completed in class. This year, the class’ goal was to choose a certain theme or question, and Muger specifically portrayed her experience of being mixed race and how it has affected her identity in her art. “The biggest thing is I want people to interpret [when they see the art is] what it means for themselves, because there’s my interpretation, but I would like people to be able to see it from their own eyes,” Muger said.
Also in IB Visual Arts, Dylan Li, junior, discovered his interest for art after attending an art class with his sister. Li believes that a good piece of artwork entails personal connection with the artist and displays the experiences that have shaped them. This year, Li’s piece consists of a colored pencil drawing of his grandpa in China. “The biggest thing I want people to get out [of my art] is the ability to connect your background to your identity. Because I’m a Chinese American, I wanted to explore how being Chinese in my life has affected how I live in America,” Li said.
Exploring his passion in AP Photography, Jeremy Slack, senior, appreciates how photography allows him to express himself and bring his ideas to life without having to draw. Slack receives a lot of his inspiration for his pieces from other photographers on social media and believes that a good photo entails a story. His work for the art show displays the 101 freeway from Camarillo, depicting how he is constantly on the move. “[The biggest thing I want people to get out of my artwork is to] just slow down and look for the beauty in the things you have to do every day. Look around a little bit more, not take life so from point A to point B and enjoy the journey,” Slack said.
The NPHS art show provides a creative outlet for students to express their identities, whether it is through photography, painting or drawing. “It’s not just the piece, it’s also what’s behind the piece. I think it is very important to see the thoughts behind it in the story,” Slack said.