All around the school the halls are decorated with the craftsmanship of students throughout the years from the Arts Magnet department. Ranging from portraits of important people, abstract mixes of colors and personality, still frames of beautiful scenery, and whatever else comes to mind of the student that is the artist.
Though it pegs the question, who decides what art goes up that gives the school it’s special touch with the student body, and what art just doesn’t make the cut? Whether it be too flashy, a tad bit inappropriate, or just downright unacceptable. Talking with BHS staff we discussed who makes the decisions about the ins and outs of showing off student art.
Art teacher Sheri Tamte explained that every mural in the school is an individual student project that has to be volunteered for.
“Each student is evaluated based on their skills in art,” Tamte said. “To make sure they have at least some ability to work with various paints and other supplies.”
Starting by making plans with the staff at any time during the year about what exactly the subject art will be, how long it will take, and what is needed. Even though it is a project for the school the time that each student puts into it is done away from the progression of a regular school day on their own time.
Senior Shania Sinna is one of these artists that created a mural of her own, that is currently hanging in the Media Center. Her painting was started in the summer of her Junior year, taking over the course of four to five months before it was completed and hung for display halfway through her year as an eleventh grader. With not only paint accenting this piece Sinna, along with other artists, placed a few things along the paints to make the art unique.
“The books in the painting are actual books I cut them out myself, along with the lace of her gloves and the sails of the boat behind her,” Sinna said. “We had a few other things but it messed with the proportions so we didn’t include them in the final work.”
Sinna’s painting still remains in the Media Center today, partly giving the view of how you can go into different worlds, live different lives, and explore through the pages of a good book, while at the same time keeping it safe from being damaged.
When asked about her thoughts on the painting she had mixed feelings.
“I think we could have done better, it started to drag on and it was just taking too long,” Sinna said. “And with the limited number of people we had working on it, things could get a little difficult.”
Once everything was finished with every piece in place along with all the other amazing works of students that give the school it’s artistic connection with it’s students.
“Every looks back on their art and feels iffy about it, but it’s something for the school, we worked really hard to make.”
