On the afternoon of April 25, Santa Fe High School’s art department hosted its annual spring student art show. Adorning the walls and showcases of the Visual Arts building were creative works from a medley of courses at all levels, including Painting/Drawing courses taught by Ms. Andrews, Fine Crafts under Ms. Gilman, and Ms. Long’s Ceramics. 

The show will remain up until approximately May 10 when seniors will begin collecting their works as they near the end of their high school careers.

This year, the overarching theme of the makeshift gallery was Luminescence, which was chosen to express the rebirth, color, and glow that emerges with the changing of the season from winter to spring.

The art show generally takes multiple weeks to fully set up, and the art teachers devote quite a bit of effort into ensuring that everything is in order. Ms. Andrews explains that “choosing the artwork to be highlighted, matting the work, labeling pieces, ordering appetizers, coordinating with school administration, and sending out invitations” all consumed a lot of the teachers’ time as the event approached.

Students and teachers alike are especially grateful for the work that the art teachers put into this show, with the consideration that Ms. Andrews’ extended leave of absence for medical reasons earlier in the year had prevented the typical fall show from taking place.

Ms. Andrews comments, “It was nice to bring all the pieces together and see all the students’ work. It was a nice way to end the year, especially since I was out.” She added, “It’s really important for kids to see their artwork up… as part of a show, it gives them a sense of pride.”

Similarly, Gabbi Herbert, a senior in AP Studio Art who has taken 2-D art courses with Ms. Andrews for all four years of high school, expresses her appreciation for the show: “I’m glad we get to have one this year. I was a little worried there for a minute. It’s nice to be able to show off what we have done in Ms. Andrews’ absence.” This is all the more true, she notes, considering that this is the seniors’ final creative showcase with SFHS.

Students, parents, and faculty showed up to meander about the gallery and take in student work. Ms. Andrews explains that parents love the opportunity to see their student’s work displayed in a gallery. She recounts, “One parent said, “I feel like I’m walking into a museum,’ ” while another stated, “I just can’t believe you get this kind of work from high school.”

Completing the gallery showcase experience were tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa purchased from the restaurant Cowgirl Hall of Fame at a courteously discounted rate.

“At the end of the day, these are student pieces, and they did the work,” Ms. Andrews expresses. “I’m just extremely proud of the talent at this school!”

(Photos provided by Ms. Andrews.)