This article is a collaboration between Regina K, Tanya K, and Ms Barga.
The time of year finally arrived for our IB2 art students to launch an exhibition to display their projects. They made a tremendous effort to finalize their work, and after this exhibition, seniors who take art should be finished with the course. Their exhibition this year took as its theme “Balancing the Chaos,” and the artists’ struggles to find balance in the chaos and pressure of senior year manifested thematically in many of the works on display.
The exhibition was held on March 27 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at our science park theater. It featured all the different pieces that the IB2 Art students had been working on since their junior year. All the hard work and time put into every piece was appreciated by parents, teachers, and students. Other seniors were present at the event to congratulate their friends on the exhibition and all the finalized work. Much of the work in progress has been witnessed by the artists’ friends, parents, and teachers along the way, but to see a collection of the finalized pieces was a delight for everyone present.
At the beginning of the exhibit, AISG art teacher Ms. Mora presented each of the IB2 students to a gathered crowd in the theater plaza, and they returned the favor with a bouquet and heartfelt thanks for her. The event included musical performances by other twelfth graders as a tribute to their art class peers—Gwen F played an innovative selection on the harp, while Jerry Julius honored the art students with his piano skills. The art students themselves performed the last song, with Alex L and Jiwon K on guitar and violin, accompanied by singers Nina S and Melody C. There was also a selection of food, drinks, and a custom made cake featuring the artists to celebrate their grand finale. Meanwhile IB1 students were taking notes for the exhibition they will put up during their senior year. They were reminded a year is not as long as it seems, and gained inspiration from all the senior artists and their work.
One of the new additions to this year’s exhibition was that the people present were able to purchase the work of the artists. Many pieces were priced, and were definitely worth the cost. Parents, students, and teachers had the opportunity to select and keep an artist’s piece as a way of remembering them. The prices ranged from around 100RMB to almost 1000RMB for work featuring a vast selection of techniques and mediums.
Regina K talked to our editor-in-chief Sara Q-F about her experience as an IB2 art student. Sara explained that the purpose of the exhibition is that it’s an actual examination, the equivalent of Paper 3 in other courses. Students are responsible for “making the exhibition itself, figuring out the space… understand[ing] the space and figur[ing] out how to represent [their] art work.” In Sara’s case, the work she displayed included “one sculpture, two photography-based [pieces] and paintings.” When asked about the sales element of the exhibit, Sara said, “I’m glad that possibility exists.” She believes it’s exciting for young artists to think about marketing their work, but it’s not important whether or not anyone buys it. Of course, artists are not always trying to sell their work, but the full experience of being an artist involves selling the products.
Overall, the IB Art Exhibition is an elegant and memorable moment every year. If you didn’t have a chance to make it, please make sure you stop by the exhibit, available for your perusal for approximately a week after spring break. Each of the artists elaborated a theme they chose as relevant to their work and their lives, and the maturation of their techniques is evident as viewers consider all of their major works together in a small space. Media Crew and Beacon staff member Tiffany C contributed the gallery of images highlighting some of their impressive work. Congratulations to the IB2 art students and Ms. Mora on a job beautifully done.