Marysville-Pilchuck students’ festival shows talent for art

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, May 25, 2011

MARYSVILLE — Senior Samantha Miller would like to open an art gallery one day.

That way she could help artists like herself receive recognition for many hours of hard work and share her love for art with others. For now though, Miller, 18, is happy to be part of the Festival of the Arts set

to begin today at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

“I get tired of people thinking you can only express yourself through words; there are so many other ways,” Miller said.

“I feel as years progress the arts are getting more recognition (in Marysville) but I’d really like to make it a big thing here because it means so much to a lot of students.”

Miller has taken advanced-placement art classes taught by teacher Karen Epperson for the past two years. Her drawings and paintings are part of this year’s student art show along with the work of her classmates and students from Epperson’s other art classes.

Ceramics and sculptures created by students of teacher Debbie McCoy are also planned to be on display today and Thursday in the school’s small cafeteria.

Much of Miller’s art pieces in the show also are part of her class portfolio. The students in the class each chose a concentration in September to work on until May 6, when the portfolios were due, Epperson said. Half of the 24 pieces students submitted as part of their completed portfolios were part of their concentration.

Miller’s drawings done mostly in colored pencil aim to show the interaction of people, flora and fauna in a harmonious way, she said. In one piece, a young boy is hugging a giraffe. A small heart is part of the animal’s striped coat.

“I have a friend who likes giraffes and I really wanted to make this for her,” Miller said. “A lot of my stuff has hidden elements people may not notice. It’s just kind of my thing.”

Senior David Henry plans to show work he’s completed this year in both ceramics and two dimensional art classes at Marysville-Pilchuck.

“It’s kind of nice to be able to shape something with your hands,” said David, 17. “Drawing and painting for me is kind of like a chore. Getting started is always the hardest part of me but once I get drawing it’s fun.”

Taking an art class helped senior Bryant Sales, 17, discover a talent for drawing faces. His portfolio work features graphite drawings of Asian women.

“I wanted to express Asian beauty, but at the same time display a universal image for women,” he said.

Students are not required to display their work in the annual show, McCoy said.

“Participation is higher this year than past years,” she said. “It’s nice to see the shelves full.”

This year’s show is also set to feature the first collaborative gum-by-number art piece. Students will place colored gum onto corresponding colored areas in a copy of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Epperson said. Student musicians also signed up to take turns singing and playing the piano, guitar and harpsichord during the show.

“It’s really a nice art show,” she said. “We have some really talented kids with some really awesome stuff.”

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.

When to go

The Marysville-Pilchuck 2011 Festival of the Arts is scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. today and Thursday and from 6 to 8:30 tonight in the school’s small cafeteria at 5611 108th St. NE in Marysville.