Portraits of M-W students as young artists

CENTRAL VALLEY-The Monroe-Woodbury District Art Show took place this past weekend in the M-W High School lobby. The show featured an extensive range of artwork by K-through-12 district students, including paintings, prints, computer animation, photography, ceramics, sculpture, video productions, drawings, graphics - all manner of art one could imagine. One highlight of the show was the wide variety of displays of M-W high school Senior Art Majors' portfolios, interspersed throughout the lobby/gallery venue. Also during the show's opening reception on Friday night, the Sixth Annual Art Scholarship furniture auction was conducted, with a number of M-W Dramatic Arts students alternately acting in the role of auctioneer. All of the one-of-a-kind chairs and tables offered for sale in the course of this very popular event were hand-painted by Senior Art Majors, drawing and painting students, and district art staff. Each distinctive piece of art interpreted either a historic artistic style or specific masterpieces of various well-known artists. All proceeds from the very spirited auction will benefit the M-W Art Department's scholarship program for graduating seniors. Julie H. Prymak, the school's District Art Coordinator, offered this sense of what is was like: "Every year the District Art Show and Scholarship Auction get bigger and bigger, the expectations become more intense, and our students always rise to the occasion. Evidence of that is visible in the increased amount of Art majors displaying their portfolios, the continued success of the auction and the awarding of scholarships. "For the youngest artists there is joyous excitement as they proudly show-off their first drawing or painting ever displayed for public view," she added. "For the Senior artist the anxiety and stress heightens as the show approaches. Will they like my work? Will I be ready in time? Do I have to be there and hear the comments? "Once the art is hung and the show begins the anxiety turns to complete satisfaction and pride, as this is a culmination of many years of struggle, exploration, and hard work," Prymak said. At last report, the unofficial total of moneys raised for scholarships was nearly $9,300. In fact, one piece alone, a table depicting the late musical icons Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Bob Marley and Jim Morrison, sold for a record-setting $400, the highest price for an individual art piece in the auction's history. As to the awards themselves, Senior Art Majors are eligible and must apply for the scholarships. Application forms are distributed in Senior Arts Seminar folders in October and again just prior to the show. The scholarship committee includes all of the high school art teachers. Applications are reviewed based on fulfillment of the specific, established criteria detailed on the application form. Art scholarships will be awarded at the Academic Awards night on Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. In yet another part of show's opening, artist/participants also contributed their talent to the "Empty Bowl" project, where ceramic bowls of their creation were offered for sale as a reminder that there are always empty bowls somewhere in this world. For the bowl and a symbolic "meal," a number of attendees contributed a donation of $10 each, for a total of $600 that will be donated to the local food pantry. That project represented a joint effort involving the Art Department staff and students, the Art Guild, and M-W's Youth-For-Ending-Hunger and Homelessness.