Encore Class of 2020 Senior Art Showcase

Covid-19 has brought about so many changes, disappointments and lost milestones, one of the greatest losses I believe for my seniors was their senior showcase. The Encore Night of Arts is an incredible event that showcases the very best of our Academy by highlighting the music, dance, theater, and arts departments. With the movement of school to online, the requirement of social distancing, and limits on gatherings the annual event celebrating all of our students hard work and what makes them so special became one more thing lost by the class of 2020. My seniors have worked incredibley hard this year, curating their portfolios, pushing each other to do better, create more, to go big, and boy did they ever. This group created prolificly before they lost their senior year to the pandemic, creating pieces for their showcase(which they anticpated nervously), and creating pieces for the annual silent art auction, this year's would have benefited Childrens Cancer Research. That was the plan and then Covid-19 happened and everything changed in an instant and once home they continued to create, needed to infact. Some students had to create their own materials, others had to familiarize themselve with their drawing tablets, or drawing programs on their phones and media they hadn't used in some time became an outlet, crayons, markers, and plain old no. 2 pencils replaced the pastels, oil paints, and clay the had easy access to at school. I was incredibly proud of this group before the pandemic but even more so now as they've watched so many milestones slip away. They've been angry, sad, dissappointed, and frustrated but through it all they've been there for each other, supported each other to be the best artist they can be and the best people they could be. Throughout this unusual year they have encouraged each other, held one another accountable, and gave honest and authentic feedback. I could not ask for a more amazing group of kids, I am so incredibly proud of who they've become, and who they will be. They will change the world. This is for you Art IV, class of 2020. Congratualtions on a job well done!