Art Students Flood Annex Bridge with Unique Pieces at Winter MOMA

The show featured portraits, landscapes, still lifes, digital art, and more. *Photo: Nakwana Crosse and Cesar Julian*

By NAKWANA CROSSE, CESAR JULIAN, and XIAOEN ZENG

The Museum of Midwood Art (MOMA) bustled once again with students, teachers, and parents on December 17 on the second floor annex bridge.

This year's showcase featured still lifes, cityscapes, landscapes, and portraits. In preparation, students learned how to draw from observation and focused on their shading, texture, and proportions.

Junior Khrystyna Orletska’s piece, which took her three weeks to finish, depicted two deer in the snow. “It’s the biggest piece that I’ve ever painted,” she said, “so [the challenge] was definitely something new for me.”

The jolly holiday music that echoed throughout the halls gave the packed skybridge a festive spirit. Ms. Dawn Daoundakis, one of the art teachers, said, “It's so crowded here. You can see more people are finding out about the show and wanting to take part.”

Ms. Lauren Rocco, an art teacher and organizer, has been exhibiting students' pieces for three years now. “I feel honored to be able to work with such amazing artists and teachers,” she said. “We do two [shows] a year and we exhibit mostly freshmen work. It was really great to have fine artists and graphic designers collaborate.”

Margaret Kolker ‘28’s painting “Smiles” reflected “a depressing point in my life where I faked the way I was smiling a lot,” she said. “I hated the way my teeth looked, but now I’ve learned to love my smile.”

Aviea Liu ’29 drew a portrait of her best friend. “We’re very close with each other; I've known her since first grade,” she said. “I added a lot of red because that's her favorite color.”

Sianna Selby-Gilbert ‘29, who drew her godaunt, an Olympic fencer, said, “She is the reason I know how to fence. She is my inspiration.”

This year, Mr. Henry Mei’s Media Arts students also had their work showcased. One of their projects was a city made out of staples, where students experimented with various selection tools and blend modes.

Another project, low-poly portraits, allowed students to demonstrate their understanding of the Polygonal Lasso tool while applying the average blur filter in Photoshop. They did this by choosing a portrait of themselves, an animal, or a person of their choice to use as their guide image.

The work on display impressed the other Hornets, parents, and teachers who passed through.

“We see some of our students here, and it is a completely different angle of who they are that we didn’t know,” said Mr. Kevin Wong, an English teacher. “I think the vibe is really nice, and I really enjoyed see my students’ talents outside of the classroom.”

With cameras rolling in, the Video Production Team joined the party to capture the lively atmosphere and holiday cheer.

The show was an “exciting event,” Tiffani Wooley ‘28 said. “It's always very interesting to see what the students can create with their minds.”