Art show marks an era of expression

Drawings, paintings, and sculptures filled every wall and corner of the Adobe Art Gallery, with artworks made by students from across CVUSD. The art show was the first of its kind, and part of a new wave of measures for Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA).

With art pieces from both new and current opportunities available to CVUSD students interested in VAPA, the Art Show was held on April 17 at the Adobe Art Center. It was possible through the collective collaboration between teachers and primary organizer, Art Resources for Teachers (A.R.T.s) managing editor Jennifer Jervis.

“It took the effort of everybody to bring all the artwork together. I went through and collected them from each teacher but the teachers chose which art pieces from their students would be in the show,” said Jervis. 

Art from all elementary schools, both middle and high schools, and the Roy Johnson Adult Transition Program were shown and represented among the hundreds of submitted artworks. 

The arrangements of art made it so you could be surprised by the artist of every work, encouraging you to look at every piece instead of skipping over entire sections of wall with one theme or grade.

“I spread them all out on the floor to just make sure that I had enough to fill the different walls,” said Jervis. “And then I wanted to mix it so that it wasn’t just by grade or by school, because it’s more interesting when everything is mingled in and then, you know, you don’t assume what grade everybody is, you’re actually just looking at the art.”

Many pieces from elementary schools were based on themes from art projects like “leaf” and “flower,” as well as art styles inspired by artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Alma Thomas. Otherwise, like most pieces from the middle and high schools, the students were able to create their own themes and unleash their creativity and imagination.

With access to more VAPA programs, a wider variety of artworks were created by middle and high school students. Painted masks and ceramic sculptures were among the pieces that were made and displayed. A greater variety of tools and materials also allowed for some incredible paintings and illustrations. 

Freedom to draw inspiration from a wider array of sources also helped students to do so.

“I like the artist, Melanie Martinez, and I feel like that kind of went into my artwork because I would listen to one of her songs as I was drawing,” said senior Kalaya Williams.

The event is an important marking point for further application of Prop 28, a proposition approved in 2022. According to this new law, one percent of the annual state education budget is allocated to arts education programs.

Effects of the prop have been shown both this school year with a brand new drama class at both middle schools, and next year, with the addition of a dance class in CVHS and more expansion of art and music programs across elementary schools.

An art show is planned to happen again next year, sure to be filled with even more artwork from the new opportunities available.