Are we feeling jaded about everything that is going on in this new year full of strife? Do we need a ray of hope to brighten our spirits and reaffirm our faith in humanity as the days slowly grow longer? The students in Ukiah HIgh School’s advanced art classes may not have the answers, but they certainly do possess the hopeful qualities of insight, skill and imagination that will help us all see the world we live in from a different and fresh perspective. This show is generously sponsored by the Ukiah Unified School District.

This energetic and eclectic collection of self-curated artwork will be on display in the front windows of the Corner Gallery for the entire month of February. Students in Rose Easterbrook’s  Advanced Art Class have been working since the beginning of this school year to create individual portfolios of their best paintings, linoleum prints, drawings and collages in anticipation of this opportunity to show their work to the public. Each student was then encouraged to select the two or three pieces that they were the most proud of for the display.

Likewise, students in Nicholas Gainey’s Advanced Ceramics class will be contributing ten to twelve handcrafted and glazed pots, including four vases that Maria Potter’s Advance Floral class with fill with creative flower arrangements. And one student from the Media Studies and Fashion class will be adding a sewn character and digital drawings of his character.

Once the selection works for the show has been finalized, the students in both art classes will collaborate to frame the wall pieces and plan the layout of the show. This is a valuable opportunity for most of these first-time gallery participants to decide for themselves what message they want to convey to the public and how they will arrange the art to tell that story. They will get to experience the decision-making process that is critical to attract visitors to stop and really look at the art on the wall.

Ivone Casillas is one of the participating art students. “I feel like it’s exiting to have my art in a show for the first time,” she says. “It will make me feel accomplished because it’s always been a big idea for me to have my art in a gallery.” 

Other students see their art as a means to connect with elusive needs. Mason Caspino says, “I really like art because it lets me put my imagination onto paper- stuff I think about and dream about. It’s an outlet that makes me feel good, and I’ve been doing it my whole life.” Ollie Adams reflects Mason’s understanding of art as an outlet and means of self expression. “But,” he elaborates, “art is also something that I enjoy doing as much as I possibly can with my crazy busy schedule of academics and athletics. It’s something that I enjoy and that I have complete control of… and it’s satisfying to see to results after all the hard work.”