The art of a good showcase

A vivid acrylic painting of a blue sky, green mountains, multicolored grass, and a small orange house was one of the many pieces of artwork hung against the black walls of the community arts center. Below it was an intricate and symmetrical colored pencil pattern created with eye-catching shades of reds, blues, and yellows. Shiny pottery pieces, brightly colored acrylic paintings, watercolor landscapes, photographs showcasing a variety of subjects and plenty of other art pieces could all be seen at the Huron Valley Council of the Arts Center in Highland, Michigan. All of these art pieces were handmade by Milford High School first-semester art students as a part of the Milford High School art show.

Among these art pieces was a watercolor painting of dark green trees, brown patchy mountains, and a beautiful vibrant blue and pink sky. This watercolor painting was created by Amy Scripture, a senior at Milford High School, in Mr. Salyers’s 5th-hour drawing and painting class. “I feel proud for sure,” Scripture said when asked what it’s like to have a piece of art showcased to the community. “You get to share your own creativity with people.” Other art pieces included extremely detailed black and white portraits, such as one of a t-rex, or another of a girl with curly hair, half-smiling at the viewer. Another piece was a photograph of a girl on the equestrian team, in uniform, atop an elegant black and white horse. This piece ensured a focus on its subject by blurring the greenery and people in the background. This photograph was taken by Maya Graham, another Milford High School senior, in Mrs. Gollan’s 4th-hour photography class. “I really like how the art teachers made sure everyone’s artwork got showcased since a lot of time and effort was put into the projects,” said Graham. The art show also included 3-D artwork, in addition to the 2-D portraits and paintings. A bright blue glazed pot, a snowman figurine, and purple and white clay sculpted to look like a life-size Converse shoe were other notable pieces of art showcased in the art show. Many of these sculptures were made by students in Gollan’s pottery class.

All pieces in the art show were selected by Milford’s art teachers, Mrs. Gollan and Mr. Salyers. Setting up the art show was a rather time-consuming process, as Gollan and Salyers spent a day and a half working independently. However, it was worth it to Milford’s dedicated art teachers. “I tried to get one kid’s work from everyone in the class,” Gollan said. “We wanted as much in [the art show] as we could because we haven’t had one in two years.” Normally, the Milford High School art show is set up in the Center for Performing Arts (CPA) lobby. This year, however, Gollan and Salyers had the opportunity to set up the art show at the HVCA Arts Center in downtown Highland. This allowed them to showcase students’ artwork to the entire community, not just the high school.

The next art show will likely be the first week of May, depending on the band schedule, and will be in the CPA Lobby of Milford High School. We can expect collaboration with the HVCA Arts Center with more art shows in the future.  Gollan hopes to make the HVCA Arts Center art show an annual event, to continue showcasing Milford’s art students to the community.