David Broyles | The News
These three North Surry High School student artists showcased their talents in a show titled “The Three Whoaman Art Show” on Tuesday night in the school’s media center. Pictured are seniors Karina Diaz, Gatlin Hiatt and Allison Baskin. The show was a senior project for Diaz.
David Broyles | The News
Senior Karina Diaz concentrates on some last minute touches to a sign advertising the The Tree Whoaman Art Show at North Surry. Diaz said she chose contradictory colors and shapes to draw attention.
The third time was a charm for a North Surry High School student’s senior project as she bonded with two classmates and staged “The Three Whoaman Art Show” on Tuesday in the media center of the high school.
Senior Karina Diaz said she had to change the topic of her required senior project three times before creative lightning struck in the form of the art show. Diaz explained her first choice was to do a project involving a realistic style of art. Then she gravitated toward a project in interior design. Neither fell into place in the curriculum requirements for the project.
Diaz then hit upon the idea of staging a show with advanced art students Gatlin Hiatt and Allison Baskin. She went to the school’s art teacher, Jennifer Draughn, and asked it she would be her to be a mentor. Draughn saw the potential of the shared enthusiasm for art the girls have.
“I agreed to join them,” said Diaz. “It was difficult at first putting it all together but once we shared our ideas and divided up our tasks it got easier.” Quickly a theme for the show fell in place. They were three women, communicating with their art.
Diaz said she became interested in art because of her family. She explained her grandmother is noted for drawing ideas that “come into her head” on any available medium, paper, napkins whatever is at hand. He said she, her brother and her mother are also good at drawing.
She said she really enjoyed designing some of the show’s posters and picked colors and shapes to contradict each other to draw attention. She said a lot of them disappeared because they were popular. Diaz said she hopes to continue with cooking and interior decorating after she graduates. She thinks she could sell a lot of her art that would complement the rooms she will design.
Across the room Gatlin was smiling broadly as a group of students told her that her art was amazing. She shrugged and told them they could draw too. Hiatt is no stranger to art shows, some of her eleven works on display were produced in middle school. She cannot remember what interested her in art.
“I have always drawn,” said Hiatt. “It’s something I like to do. I really don’t know when I started. Honestly I can’t remember when I wasn’t drawing.” She said she has given some of her work away to be featured in a museum in Charlotte.
The outgoing senior likes having her work on display. She said she is thinking of a career in graphic design but said she will miss the contact of pen or pencil to paper.
“It just seems more real with I do this on paper,” said Hiatt.
Senior Allison Baskin said she got her start in art when a physician saw her drawing in a waiting room and told the family they should support her talent.
“My family gave me a pencil and paper when I was little,” said Baskin. She said she like to paint and has recently made progress with her technique with water colors. She, like Hiatt, is thinking of a career in graphic design. She said she enjoyed designing the fliers for the show but admits having her work in front of the public is tough.
“If they didn’t get it and just pass by it makes me mad,” said Baskin. “I want to tell them hey, I worked hard on this stuff.”
“They even had to go out in the community and solicit donations from businesses for food for the show’s reception,” said Draughn, who moved from Meadowview to North Surry. She said an art show of this kind had not been staged there for quite a while.
“I had these girls when I was at Meadowview,” said Draughn. “They brought many pieces of their art work that they had done there here. It’s interesting to be able to compare the works and see how they have progressed.”
She said that sadly, in economic times such as these art curriculum seems to be the first to be cut.
“Students start out with me and you can seem them analyze how will art benefit me,” added Draughn. “My answer is to ask them to imagine living without art. Their music is art, video games contain graphic art, television is dramatic art. Art is even in the clothes they wear. It helps them see how art is a big part of everyone’s life.”
Reach David Broyles at dbroyles@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1952.
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