In a break from tradition, the school administration has decided to hold an exhibition highlighting the works of a single AP Studio Art student, senior Aeduk Lee.
“When I first heard the idea, I was so amazed. When I was called to the main office, in the middle of English class, I was so scared because I thought I was in trouble. But instead Dr. Fitzgerald asked me for a handshake, after he talked about the school bus painting on the invitational and the exhibition. It was really surprising news,” said Lee.
Lee was first approached by Assistant Principal Dr. Bradley Fitzgerald after he witnessed Lee’s painting on the invitation card to a recent Tilles Center art exhibition.
The exhibition is being held the conference room in the Main Office. Lee’s art has been on display since the beginning of midterm week and will be viewable to the end of the year. The conference room is frequently used for art display, because its frequent usage grants visibility for administrators, teachers, parents, and students.
“The artwork brings a human touch to the space and is really appreciated by Dr. Fitzgerald who organizes and maintains the space on behalf of the administration,” said art teacher Ms. Miranda Best.
The majority artwork in the exhibition was taken from Lee’s concentration pieces, a body of work unified by an underlying idea that has visual coherence, school buses. A few Breadth pieces were also included. This artwork is part of her AP portfolio which is given to College Board after two years for assessment.
In the past artwork displayed in the conference room was used to highlight a variety students. Since Lee had a large body of drawing and paintings that she had been working on for the past two years, Ms. Best, Lee’s AP art teacher, suggested a solo exhibition for her work.
Lee received positive feedback from students and staff who visited the exhibition.
“Aeduk is really talented in art, and I admired her art work in the conference room,” said junior Juyoung Park.
“Personally, I am impressed with the show on a number of levels. I happen to be taken with color and her work is strong in that regard. But many have pointed out the vastness of her subject matter while there exists a distinct style recognizable throughout. Too many have claimed different favorites so it’s probably fair to say they are all beautiful quality. It’s hard for me not to point out the school bus in the snow painting as it’s so prominent, but I happen to love that one,” said Dr. Fitzgerald.
Ms. Best also expressed how proud she is of her student.
“Aeduk has worked extremely hard in AP Art. Her concentration work, exploring the theme of the school bus and the concept of the school bus as a vehicle for transportation/transformation is an original theme that has resulted in several dynamic and compelling pieces. I am so pleased that she was able to display the work collectively and that so many people in the Schreiber Community have been able to enjoy her work,” said Ms. Best.
“It was the first time someone asked me to have an exhibition, and I was amazed that so many people loved my paintings. So I loved this whole experience and I couldn’t believe that my art pieces were filling the wall. I can officially say that it was the best experience in my high school career,” said Lee.
Not only had the exhibition received positive feedback, it also prompted many administrators to start discussing future ways to spread students’ artistic talents.
“If nothing else, I think this experience has opened up our eyes to more possibilities in the future. Ms. Suzzan, the director of art and music, has been in regular discussions with the art faculty, and we have all decided to step up our options for future shows. The art department has always run big shows but this was unique and we are interested in building on that,” said Dr. Fitzgerald.