By Susan Shinn
Salisbury Post
It’s always such a joy to see the artwork of local students displayed at Waterworks Visual Arts Center.
This year, the art shows are being held all at once ó the gallery at 123 E. Liberty St. will be full of colorful, thought-provoking works from students of area public and private schools.
“The whole center is devoted to student art,” says Sarah Leonard, exhibitions assistant. “It sends a message that student art is important and just as good as professional art.”
The opening receptions are as follows:
* Elementary level ó 2:30-4 p.m. Saturday, May 3
* Middle school level ó 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 4
* High school level ó 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday, May 4
Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
During the student exhibition, the museum will also be open 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, 11 and 18. The exhibit continues through May 18.
These exhibits are always a special treat, and this year is no exception.
The elementary exhibition ó with 20 schools represented ó is the largest of the four and takes up two galleries.
The middle schools have the county’s seven schools represented, with six high schools combined at that level.
The independent and home school segment includes the Rowan County Home School Association, Salisbury Academy, The Cannon School, Sacred Heart School and North Hills Christian School.
Up to 15 pieces have been sent from each school. Many different kinds of media ótwo-dimensional and three-dimensional ó are included.
Portraying a flag theme in their artwork were Dominique Karriker, Sara Muharemovic, Stephanie Pyle and Sydney Grkman, all seventh-graders at Southeast Middle. Contributing self-portraits were eighth-graders Nathan Foster, Wesley Flippin and Davey Jackson.
A team of seventh-graders from Corriher-Lipe Middle ó Dominque Garlin, Bailee Childress, Kaitlin Kelly and Michael Foster ó created a bold graphic design with markers. Also making graphic pieces were eighth-graders Joshua Hunsucker and Allen Johnson.
Ben Conkel, a Knox Middle eighth-grader, used pencil to draw two pelicans. Roberto Carlos Martinez used this same medium for an eagle drawing.
Knox students who drew self-portraits were eighth-grader Anna Kyles, sixth-grader Chantece Judon, seventh-graders Kristen Harmon and Denzelle Wright and sixth-grader Samantha Thomas, who used a collage technique for hers.
Skyler Beers, an eighth-grader at Erwin Middle, used bright colors to create dot art. McCall Morefield, an Erwin eighth-grader, created a portrait in pencil on red paper for a striking piece. Also eye-catching was a block print of a grove of trees in red and white by eighth-grader Jake Ward. Seventh-grader Elizabeth Lee tried her hand at, well, drawing a hand made out of pencils.
Bryce Burns, an eighth-grader at West Rowan Middle, made a glitter bulldog, while classmate Jared Hodge used glitter to make a tomahawk.
West Middle eighth-grader Troy Culbertson created a duo of cardinals, while sixth-grader Linh Le made her self-portrait in the mosaic style.
Olivia Moore, a sixth-grader at China Grove Middle, wove strips of turquoise and lime paper into a large, vivid square. Eighth-grader Hilda Martinez wove a basket, while classmate Cody Baxter made an bright red apple from a gourd.
In the high school gallery, Will Sapp made a ceramic piece of a delicious-looking cheeseburger and fries on a red plate. He’s a freshman at East.
Others making ceramic pieces were East senior Candis Shiflet, who made a mask; South senior Quinn Roth with a folk art face jug; and classmates Yesica Herrera and Brittany Iddings, also with face jugs.
Cliff Wood, a South junior, placed a sculpted head on a wooden square. The base was painted in the style of Dali with melting clocks.
Jacorian Brown, a freshman at Carson, created a provocative drawing of Uncle Sam shooting up his veins ó full of oil. Sophomore Ashlyn Garver also made a political statement with her piece ó a girl hugging a bomb with a huge peace sign looming in the background.
Carson freshman Becky Mishak painted two identical Asian birds side by side in a symmetrical background. Classmate Jesse Lane drew a pastel sea turtle, while senior Kelly Rambo used layered of colored paper topped with varnish to create an impressive orange, magenta and blue sun.
North freshman Mel Ghandour created leaves in pastel, while junior Julie Kriska chose watercolors to create a beautiful desert scene.
East senior Logan Pope drew a German shepherd in pencil, with red flowers in the background. Freshman Clark Agner used pen and ink to draw a detailed turkey gobbler. Sophomore Jenna Cassel made a blue rose, while classmate Katie Haitt painted a leaf pink, then added a Monarch butterfly.
A trio of Salisbury High artists ó juniors Deveraux Swaim and sophomore Anne Knauff ó painted breathtaking mountain landscapes. Contributing self-portraits were juniors Jesse Mayorga and Remi Moore and sophomore Glen Gray. Senior Ivan Chambers and junior Rachel Kirby each did a close-up study of an eye.
South junior Julianne Litaker used tiny black dots to create a soulful lion.
East senior Michelle Kuvinka used stained glass along with beaded, twisted metal to create a multicolored mobile.
Carson senior Amy Jo Chandler will certainly draw smiles with her whimsical yellow giraffe, made from papier mache.
“Kids are very creative,” Leonard says. “You never quite know what you’re gonna see.”
Contact Susan Shinn at 704-797-4289 or sshinn@salisburypost.com.