Identical by Kayla Spratt (markers and colored pencil)

Meaning: I personally like art that has more than one meaning, or no meaning at all. I like looking at a piece of art and trying to figure out what it means sometimes. So many different people can have so many different observations about one picture, it’s fascinating to hear people’s thoughts! For this one in particular, it’s only meaning can be perceived by the person observing it.

Inspiration:  My goal here is to let everyone share their opinion on what it could mean, I would want the viewer to think outside the box!

“Together” (photography) by Bella Sierra

Inspiration: I love artificial light photography, you can use color lights you wouldn’t get outside.

Meaning: When I see this piece I feel it is like the models are looking forward into the unknown and their future and it is shown by the bright colorful lights reflecting back on them.

Artwork: “She Looks Like Fun” by Kirsten Ponticelli (ink and black acrylic paint on mixed medium paper)

Inspiration: I was inspired to create this piece in order to work through artists block, as well as create a piece that was both beautiful and strange. I love working with just ink in black and white because of the level of detail and contrast you can create.

Meaning: I hope the viewer would experience curiosity and question what beauty and goodness mean. To me, this piece is about the fascination and beauty we can find in darker ideas. Oftentimes we see things in black and white, and expect those around us to fit into our own idea of right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, good and bad. “She Looks Like Fun” is meant to express the fascinating side of what many see as taboo or abnormal.

“Solitude” by Chris Mejia (acrylic Apple Barrel paints and sharpie markers)

Inspiration: “Solitude” was inspired after a mixture of emotions, that I wasn’t able to sort out, led me to believe I had no one with me to help me out. To be honest it had no meaning first. After our lives changed due to Covid, it finally had meaning. I realized that as scary as solitude (being alone) can be, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Spending time by myself helped me to work on myself, it gave me time to think and reflect on my values and beliefs. In the painting, you can see a whale all by itself, and even if the ocean can be a scary place, the sight of a whale jumping gracefully out of the water is beautiful. Solitude can be a beautiful thing too.

Artwork: Untitled by Emma Janusko (Colored Pencil)

Inspiration: What inspired this piece is recently I have been working on realistic drawings which is a new type of art for me. I have seen numerous drawings that are amazing and it inspired me to try something new using a new modality. I normally do paintings but I decided to try something different, and after multiple attempts I was able to create the image I was hoping for.

Its Meaning: I hope the viewer will see that even though it may take some time if you try you really can accomplish your goals.

“Hoya” by Kyla Jenkins (photography)

Inspiration: I had been given this plant as a cutting, and nursed it to a super healthy plant, but it hadn’t flowered yet.  I was so proud of my green thumb when it finally did it was so beautiful and the little droplet was like a jewel begging to be photographed!

Its Meaning: I hope they find joy in the simple elegance of an unusual flower! We need to stop and look for the little details as often as we can in this busy, busy world.

“Work” by Leo Pantas (colored pencil)

Inspiration: I had just done a research project about a Spanish-speaking artist and my pick was Salvador Dalí. I learned that he was a VERY eccentric person and that his style of art was surrealism, and his art embodies surreal to a T. I liked how weird he was and decided to make something surreal myself.

Its Meaning: I called it “Work” because it’s meant to symbolize how many things are revolving around me and how I feel about it. There’s always something weighing me down and I have to kick that away while keeping track of other stuff. Even then, there always seems to be something that slips through the cracks and it stabs me in the back and sometimes spills out of control. The goal is to try and convey being overwhelmed.