With her previous experience professionally curating art galleries, art teacher Grace Stynes couldn’t resist the opportunity to impact an entire student body with the same talent.

This year, Stynes is one of the many individuals making the first annual FHC Art Show happen. This event, on Tuesday, March 15 from 6:00-8:00 pm, is a unique and exciting opportunity to celebrate the hardworking artists that fill FHC’s hallways.

“We have sporting events and musicals, but we don’t ever get to see all of the hard work that our visual artists are doing,” Stynes said. “So Mr. Fewell and I wanted to have an event that really showcases all of the different things that are happening down here in the art department.”

This new tradition provides an opportunity for members of the community to interact with art in a way they may not have been available to before. It also allows for the artsiest of FHC to display their praiseworthy talents; however, it also provides a unique opportunity for Stynes.

“I think I’m most excited to see all of the [pieces] together,” Stynes said. “I look at a lot of art. I look at every single piece of art that anyone does here, but I [only] look at it as an individual piece. So I’m really excited to see all of the pieces come together.”

This event will transform our green and white halls into a whole new world of creation and color. However, if the free admission, the live music performed by FHC music students, or the exciting interactions with visionaries doesn’t convince you, there are so many more reasons to attend the excitement.

“It’s such a good opportunity to see what’s available,” Stynes said. “Maybe you’re interested in taking an art class and you want to know what kind of things you get to do. [Or] if you’ve got a bunch of friends in art classes, artists don’t always love to share; they might not just pull out their phone and show you their art, so it’s a really good way to see what everyone’s doing.”

Stynes has contributed a vast amount of energy into making this show as excellent as it can be for the community; however, the work from the artists is just as important in making this event as special as it intends to be. Luckily, students such as senior Rylee Veneklase have put a lot of heart into preparing for the gallery.

“All the [AP Art] kids take our favorite pieces from the whole year,” Rylee said. “I’ve picked the piece I feel the most confident in, put the most skill in, and the piece I’m the [proudest] of because I’m going to be showing it to everyone. I really put [in] the best piece that I possibly could, and I think that relates to every artist [in the show]; they’re all going to put the piece they’re most proud of, and that’s going to be really exciting.” 

Thinking about the pieces of artwork already on display in glass cases throughout the school, the idea of the greatest work of these talented artists is especially exciting. Having this unique opportunity to be able to see each grade come together to create a cohesively beautiful night will be awe-inspiring. 

With this event showcasing artists of every grade, all with different ranges of talent, mediums, and visions from artist to artist, they still all have one thing in common: freedom to express.

“Ms. Stynes really gives us freedom so that we can experiment with so many different things,” Rylee said. “I feel like I can just do whatever I want; I can grow as an artist and really see my improvement over the years. My favorite part [about art class] is really seeing myself grow.”

This freedom to create has allowed Rylee the chance to express emotions that she couldn’t have otherwise, and her experience with art providing her freedom is not an isolated experience. Senior Kali Coppess has also flourished in the environment of the art room. 

With artistic triumphs, however, there are also adversities. In order for Kali to put her best foot forward for the upcoming art show, she had to put her all into making sure her pieces were up to the standard they needed to be while also feeling the necessary connection to them.

“With my portfolio specifically, it’s been really complicated,” Kali said, “because I’ve been making gargoyles over the course of the year, and it has to have a deeper meaning behind it, but I just like to make art. [So] Ms. Stynes sat down with me and helped me break it down which was such a relief.”

Finally feeling like her pieces are ready for the masses, Kali and her peers are completely prepared to create a night to hopefully be celebrated in FHC’s history. 

“Art has definitely helped me understand other people more,” Kali said. “Seeing how people view the world and come up with different ideas and then actually turn those ideas into art can be so different from how I operate. It’s really broadened my worldview.”