“We are in our third year of arts programing as a choice art school in Prince George, Prince George’s first ever choice art school, and this is a celebration of some of our learning, especially in visual arts of course, of the year. It just is showcasing our growth as artists and our learning around the arts,” said the school’s principal Stephanie Coates.
It’s a night to celebrate the students’ passions and accomplishments, and for students like Gaudet, they really enjoy the opportunity to showcase their work and explain why they made the choices they did. Among other pieces, one of Gaudet’s works was a poster with the quote “dream big, dare to fail.”
“I think it just related to me the most. I was looking through all the poems you could choose from, and I looked at that one, I was like, definitely,” he explained.
The presentation aspect of the night isn’t just about having fun, Coates explains it’s also a valuable educational opportunity to learn skills like public speaking and confidence.
“They’re speaking to the processes they used or the challenges they may have encountered, or things they liked or maybe didn’t like about a particular piece. It makes it so that they’re taking ownership of their learning,” Coates said.
“All of our students are artists, of course. We want them to see themselves as artists, so in this process, they are all responsible for writing an artist statement of sorts to explain their learning, and what the piece means and what they were thinking or how it was inspired, what mediums they used,” Coates continued.
Many mediums were on display, including but not limited to:
- Fashion and clothing design
- Paper mache
- Paintings
- Sketches
- Sculptures
“It’s a reflection of where we’ve been and where we’re going, and we just want to continue to capitalize on all of the wonderful things that are happening here,” Coates said, on the night being one of celebration.
Coates added one of the things she hears the most from people who attend the night is the impressive level of growth the students show year over year, as the arts extravaganza event continues to grow.
