Gallery • 2 Photos

Photo By Hailey Tesser

30 seconds until 5:00.

15 seconds until 5:00. 

10 seconds until 5:00.

   The clock finally strikes 5:00pm. The opening ceremony is about to begin, and other students are expected to come and visit exactly an hour from then. Excited chatter fills the air, and the art students hastily pore over their exhibits one last time, hunting for any misplacements or flaws.

   On April 5th, the art classes at PPCHS held the 22nd Annual PPCHS Art Show. Many of the art students have been working on their exhibited portfolios all year, and slowly worked their way through it little by little. Others, depending on the piece, knew exactly what artistic vision they had set in mind, and finished quicker. Nevertheless, every single piece displayed was breathtaking, and it’s impossible to believe that so much sentiment and emotion could be expressed nonverbally. Each student encapsulated their talents perfectly, and the passion intertwined in each individual piece of artwork was more than obvious. “[The purpose of the art show is] to show off our yearly progress, and to show how far we’ve [come] as artists,” says sophomore Emily Ramjattan.

   Time passed by in an instant, and it was easy to become mesmerized by the plethora of exhibits flooding the halls of the M building. However, the process of setting up for the art fair wasn’t exactly easy. According to Mrs. Vasquez, “There’s a ton of stuff to move, so the first thing was getting all the art teachers coordinated. It’s just a lot to do in a short amount of time, so you just have to plan it and organize it very well. Mrs. Negron let us use her room, as well as the entire hallway, and we all set up levels 1-3. But, the AP students organized their own boards, and it helped a lot, considering we couldn’t possibly put up everyone’s work by ourselves.” 

   Not only did it take an applause-worthy effort to set everything up, but the time spent on the artwork themselves was extremely meticulous as well. “Our mixed media sculptures took about 2-3 weeks to complete – from conceptualization to completion. Ceramic pieces take a bit longer, around 3-5 weeks, since we have to wait until they dry completely before the first firing (bisque), then students have to apply the glaze (like painting), and then the pieces have to be fired in the kiln again (glaze firing),” explains Mrs. Negron. From setting up the exhibits, to the process of creating the artwork, or even just conceptualizing the art itself, it is undeniable that the process was strenuous, but definitely rewarding! 

   After such a long span of time spent poring over their artwork, the satisfaction of being able to take pride in their art, as well as the ability to immerse themselves in a community of other young artists, is unmatched. “I think the art show was a great success! It was amazing to see the myriad of pieces created by these amazing artists. I felt that many people were inspired by seeing their peers (and students) creating exceptional quality work. Personally, it inspired me to see what other teachers were assigning as art projects, and it gave me ideas for future lessons! I feel extremely lucky to work with such a great group of art teachers at a school that supports the arts,” says Mrs. Negron. In the words of Mr. Foreman, the art show was “fantabulously, spectacularly, mind blowingly awesome.” 

   Congratulations to all the art students at PPCHS for a successful art fair, and thank you for your hard work!