Natural light streams through the arched windows on the second floor of the Kaua‘i Museum where works of art reminiscent of Warhol, Kandinsky and Kahlo fill this corner room with confident gestures of color and form. Some 50 years ago
Natural light streams through the arched windows on the second floor of the Kaua‘i Museum where works of art reminiscent of Warhol, Kandinsky and Kahlo fill this corner room with confident gestures of color and form.
Some 50 years ago the founder of the Kaua‘i Museum, Juliette Wichman, created a platform for Kaua‘i’s youngest artists by inviting teachers to submit the works of their students to what has become a museum mainstay since 1960 — the annual student art festival.
Linoleum block prints, airbrush and pencil, clayboard, scratchboard, ceramic sculpture, acrylic on canvas, tempera, pastel and even pounded copper plates are among the media explored by Kaua‘i’s youth. This event spotlights two-dimensional, three-dimensional and photographic art for a few precious months in the Mezzanine Gallery.
The 48th annual student show opened in February with the kindergarten through eighth-grade art exhibition. In March the ninth- through twelfth-grade students hung their work. Every school on the island is invited to participate. At 11 a.m. tomorrow, all students will be honored with an awards ceremony on the second floor of the museum.
“To see the competition this year was so encouraging,” said Island School art teacher Penny Nichols who has been entering the work of her students for eight years and who fondly remembers Wichman as “instrumental in the arts and in so many other ways.”
In line with Wichman’s vision supporting art among the island’s youth, Nichols believes students benefit from the creative process.
“Especially in high school — the kids come in here and you can just feel their energy change as they do work that’s more meditative.”
Evidence of this quiet yet active state are the dizzying renditions of metallic scratch board done by students of Kaua‘i High School or the seamless architecture in clay by one Island School junior.
In the domed alcove on the second floor, the walls, shelves and window sills vibrate with color and form — from refined pencil drawings, to a collaborative project of a 24-plate copper quilt to the riotous pastels shouldering crisp photographic images of Kaua‘i faces and landscapes. Through the eyes of the island’s keiki and youth, a Kaua‘i is revealed that is hopeful, courageous and playful.
“There’s this question of the value of art in school,” said Nichols. “It’s valuable because it’s part of being a human being — art for art’s sake … what’s wrong with that?”
Standing in the center of this loft brimming with color, you are moved by not just the high level of orchestration, but the knowledge that behind each charcoal line, behind the lens of each image, is an artist encouraged and guided by a dedicated mentor.
Art does more then cleave an outlet for all that excitable energy and adolescent angst — making art cultivates qualities of a loftier nature.
“It develops confidence,” said Nichols.
Kaua‘i’s art teachers do more than busy their students with brushes and pastels, they cover the intellectual side of the arts as well by exploring art production, history, aesthetics and criticism in their limited class time.
“I don’t want them to be intimidated in a museum or gallery,” said Nichols. “Students need to have knowledge to feel confident.”
But when a competition is on the horizon, Nichols doesn’t tell her students when she’s submitting their work.
“I never say the word ‘contest,’” she said. “I tell them after the fact — otherwise they get too nervous.”
Like Nichols, art teacher Denise Dion-Scoyni of Kula High School advocates showing one’s work. Her approach to submissions is more collaborative.
“I meet with the students for a portfolio critique and we whittle it down,” she said.
By involving her students in the selection process she’s also teaching them something of selection and critique.
Kaua‘i students compete at local and state level competitions.
“We just had 35 entries in the Canon state photo contest,” said Dion-Scoyni, where two students received honorable mentions.
“We are just building their resume and getting their work out there,” she said. “The art world is huge. There’s fine art, computer art, Web site design — it’s a huge business. You can earn a living off of art.”
Since the Kaua‘i Museum’s festival is near the end of the year, art teachers have a body of work to choose from. Once they’ve made their selection, they mount it in preparation for hanging. In February the judging took place and first, second and third place ribbons were awarded. A certificate of merit was awarded to each student whose art is selected for the exhibit.
“Selecting award winners was enormously difficult,” said gallery director Linda Shimoda. “It is not about the ribbon or the art show, it’s about creating something we feel is meaningful to share — to communicate with others visually is what it means to be an artist and all of these students are true artists.”
