Greeley West hosted its annual IB Visual Arts show for two students, senior Percilla Castillo and senior Isabella Smith, who are graduating early and have to present an exhibition for one of their three assessments for IB Visual Art. The event included an impressive variety of artworks including paintings, digital art, and mixed media pieces where the students were encouraged to explore personal aspirations and emotion through their artwork.
Ms. Laura Knudsen, an IB Visual Arts teacher mentioned that they have been working hard on this long project and is an essential piece for artists growth. “One of the things that I get to do is I get to help them discover what they want to learn and so I’m more of a guide on the side. They kind of run it and then what I do is I give samplers and teasers of whether it’s media, artists, or musicians for them to explore,” said Knudsen.
Castillos theme was “the light and darkness of how life can go.” This was a very personal based project to her. Her show was set up in a specific way where there was staged lighting to show the light of the exhibition and then as you worked through her art, it showed you the depth of the darkness. Smith’s exhibition was a little different. “I was exploring different mediums that I was working on so I had a fruit series that I was just doing digitally and then I experimented with color pencils as well,” she mentioned.
When artists are struggling with their confidence, Knusden tries to help as much as possible by bringing in different materials and medias to give her students inspiration. “We do mind maps and dive deep into concepts. We also bring in people who can talk about art or bring in references and talk about it, and we have even done some poetry, looking at some literature stuff, and looking and listening to music but definitely bringing in a variety of sources helps,” Knsuden said.
The IB Visual Arts art show not only celebrated the students’ artistic achievements but also highlighted the importance of visual arts education in developing critical thinking and creativity. As tonight drew to a close, it was evident that the young artists of Greeley West are poised to make significant contributions to the world of art, inspiring others with their innovative and creative spirit. Knsuden’s most rewarding part about being a teacher is “understanding they have a place that is filling their soul and filling their bucket that is going to live beyond the walls of the school.”
