Multiple Artists

Visions ’22

May 13 - Oct 2, 2022

Visions ’22 showcases skills and inspiration exchanged between students and SMoCA artists during art workshops throughout the school year. Local teaching artists lectured on their professional backgrounds, successes, and barriers while also teaching new art-making techniques and conceptual approaches.

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About

About

Life’s realities present us with decisions and responsibilities that are unavoidable the older we get. As adolescents transition out of high school into the realm of adulthood, they are faced with some of these realities in an ever-changing society. Not only must they deal with the difficulties that come with being a teen in the 21st century, but they must also look ahead to how they might remedy any ramifications left by the generations before them. These challenges, paired with coming out of nearly two years of isolation, mean there is much for teens to say on the state of the world. That’s where Visions comes into play.

Visions is a multi-visit, invitational visual arts program that has been provided to Valley teens for 23 years. Throughout the school year, students from six high schools attended monthly workshops taught by professional artists, toured the University of Arizona School of Art, and connected with exhibitions offered by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA). Through these exchanges and interactions, Visions teens were able to openly express complex ideas that are important to them as maturing individuals. In learning new art-making techniques and approaches to contemporary issues, students were provided avenues for communicating through visual art. Through the appreciation and creation of art, Visions aims to cultivate the development of teen resilience while enhancing social connections, opening dialogue, and promoting tolerance and confidence.

Visions ’22 showcases student skills and inspiration gleaned from professional artists over the course of the 2021–22 program. Local and national artists lectured on their backgrounds and offered personal anecdotes about becoming working artists, while also demonstrating ways of addressing contemporary themes. Both the SMoCA exhibitions and artist-led workshops inspired the students to choose one or two artists who were of interest to them. Their messages are thus acknowledged and interpreted through their artistic practice, amplifying their voices within the greater conversation of the world.

Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation would like to thank the following 21 artists for their inspiring participation in the 2021–22 Visions program: Mia B. Adams, Merryn Omotayo Alaka, melissa m button, Ernie Button, Mimi O Chun, Vincent Chung, Aaron Coleman, Steffi Faircloth, Joseph A Farbrook, Sam Fresquez, Estephania González, Lena Klett, Cydnei Mallory, Amber McCrary (Diné), Jacob Meders, Brianna Noble, Lily Reeves, Marcos Serafim, Kaitlyn Jo Smith, Kendra Sollars, and Papay Solomon.

Thanks are also in order for the following participating teachers and schools: Mandy Alvarez and Michelle Peacock, Saguaro High School (painting); Desiree Devirgilio, Chaparral High School (multimedia); Jennifer Jardine, Shadow Mountain High School (painting); Amy Voza Quist, Pinnacle High School (sculpture); Amanda McGlothern and Constance Sellars, Tempe High School (sculpture); and Claire Warden, New School for the Arts & Academics (multimedia).

Organized by Brittany Arnold, teen and family coordinator for Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation.

The Visions program is supported by the City of Scottsdale; Nationwide; Cox Communications; BMO Harris Bank; SMoCA Docents; the Greenhut Family, In Memory of Sandy Greenhut; Scottsdale Unified School District; Paradise Valley Unified School District; Tempe Unified High School District; and New School for the Arts & Academics. Additional support for this program is provided in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the state of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts. Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation’s Center Space is a newly imagined community space for visitors to learn about the arts by doing and is sponsored by the City of Scottsdale.

Related Event

Visions 22′ Opening Reception
Friday, May. 13, 2022, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Come celebrate the incredible artistic accomplishments of Visions advanced art students from across the Valley! The evening will begin with student presentations and is open to the public. Light food and drink will be provided.

Learn More

Artworks

Eilish’s Effect, 2022 | Anna Mack (born 2004)

Butterfly Life, 2022 | Aluet Gaxiola Vera (born 2004)

Bubble, 2022 | Vanessa Sanchez (born 2004)

Modern Majority, 2022 | Tatum Hennessy (born 2004)

The Heartbreak of Love, 2022 | Stevie Stokes (born 2006)

Taking the Next Step, 2022 | Sebastion Stallone (born 2004) Ye

Metamorphosis, 2022 | Sara Rodriguez (born 2003)

Untitled, 2022 | Rayden Martza (born 2005)

Overcome in Overgrowth, 2022 | Olivia Greteman (born 2005)

Equality, 2022 | Nicki B Naghshieneh (born 2003)

Anna Mack (born 2004)

Eilish’s Effect, 2022

Oil, enamel, and acrylic paint Shadow Mountain High School

For this piece, I was inspired by Papay Solomon’s realistic oil paint portraits. Papay’s ability to capture his subject’s character and story is what led me to choose Billie Eilish as my subject. Billie’s recent remarks on pornography’s damaging effects to her not only breaks social norms but also puts into words a belief I have personally. Visions has taught me to get to know my subject, decide on a matter that is important to me, and work with mediums that I would not typically gravitate toward. I chose to paint on a double-paned glass frame to signify the complete transparency that is necessary when discussing a subject such as porn. My theme, therefore, is the importance of transforming pornography from a taboo subject into a discussion that even celebrities, such as Billie Eilish, can have with their enormous and diverse social following. It is my intent to allow viewers to understand the ease in which society should discuss topics such as porn, for it is not a victimless form of art, but rather an exploitation of people who have been abused.

Aluet Gaxiola Vera (born 2004)

Butterfly Life, 2022

Oil on wood Saguaro High School

My portrait visually demonstrates the struggles an immigrant faces through the processes of moving to another country and settling life in a different country. I chose to include butterflies to represent migration. A butterfly has to move to find a better home that’s safer or better for their well-being. In comparison, butterflies and immigrants have the same motives for migrating. Papay Solomon motivated me to attempt a visual expression of my message through oil painting and portraits. Through this oil painting, I strive to convey my parents and their experience getting to the United States as immigrants.

Vanessa Sanchez (born 2004)

Bubble, 2022

Crystals, stones, rope, metal, and florals Tempe High School

This piece is used to represent one’s personal bubble and how it can be surrounded by all kinds of positive and nice things, yet that person could still be dying inside, feeling as if there’s no way out. The way I represent a person's positive atmosphere is with different crystals surrounding the wilted flower in the center. The artist that inspired me was Cydnei Mallory and her use of string, rope, and wood. She is able to show and represent many thoughts and emotions with random items that make one final piece. One of her pieces that I was inspired by was called Fingerknit. This piece uses rope, metal, and wood that are shaped as a hexagon. Since it is hanging from the ceiling, that inspired me as well to put my piece in the air. Some items that I integrated because of her inspiration were rope, string, and pieces of wood.

Tatum Hennessy (born 2004)

Modern Majority, 2022

Acrylic on canvas Saguaro High School

As the final painting I will complete in high school, this self-portrait reflects who I’ve become and highlights my background as an Asian American artist. While painting, I drew inspiration from Papay Solomon’s use of bold colors, as well as Mimi O Chun’s impactful political messaging through art. The title of this piece is a play on the phrase “model minority,” which is often used to stereotype Asian Americans in the United States. I used this title to shed light on the harmful and polarizing nature of the saying at a time when anti-Asian violence and prejudices have become a grave threat to the lives of Asians across the United States. My Visions experience has included everything from 2020’s pandemic opener to 2021’s “New Normal,” and in 2022 I hope that this final piece can effectively capture the Asian American experience in the climate of today’s world.

Stevie Stokes (born 2006)

The Heartbreak of Love, 2022

Mixed media Pinnacle High School

This is a memorial of Lauren Porter who was the victim of a murder-suicide. She was a friend of our family and was murdered by her fiancé. I made this art piece for her because I believe that more people need to see the significant impact of domestic violence and bring light to this situation that many face. The hair as T-shirt rope represents the innocence of the life that was lost. The artist Cydnei Mallory inspired me to use the T-shirt rope symbolically in my piece. It is tying the front and the back together to become one story of the family's pain.

Sebastion Stallone (born 2004) Ye

Taking the Next Step, 2022

Mixed media Pinnacle High School

This art piece was inspired by friends and family because they have been there for me every step that I have taken in my life. Every string hanging with beads attached represents my age (17). Each bead itself represents a person in my life who has made an impact. Some of the beads have a star on them; these beads represent people in my life who I have lost. The rope made from T-shirts represents the bond between my family, friends, and myself. The elephant is a representation of who I am and how I am going to take my next steps. I don’t know what my next step is yet, but I will have my friends and family by my side. The artists that inspired me are Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Cydnei Mallory.

Sara Rodriguez (born 2003)

Metamorphosis, 2022

Oil on canvas Shadow Mountain High School

This collection of works is a series of paintings portraying detailed specimens of entomological study. It focuses on the relation between the value of beings based on beauty and their perception from an outside perspective. Brianna Noble’s use of multiple canvases and self-portraiture to convey an idea or emotion was a big inspiration, as well as Papay Solomon’s ability to capture the likenesses of particular people. This series of artworks consists of seven canvases that all come together to create a bigger idea: that the value of the individual is more than what can be seen on the surface or what can be perceived societally. It is not until we take a closer look that we can see this inherent value in the state of change, the metamorphosis that people perpetually go through as they transition through the stages of life.

Rayden Martza (born 2005)

Untitled, 2022

Recycled materials Tempe High School

This piece shows my tribe, the Zuni Pueblo, and the origin story of how we came to be here on Earth Mother. It is said that we were born from the stars, and when we reached Earth, we went into the ground. When we came back to the surface, we became lizard people. From then we began to shed our scales, lose our tails, and eventually became human. I was inspired by Cydeni Mallory, an artist who uses traditional and non-traditional materials to create her pieces. I personally find her work to be beautiful because of her ability to tell a story by using materials that most people would consider to be trash.

Olivia Greteman (born 2005)

Overcome in Overgrowth, 2022

Oil on wood Saguaro High School

This diptych serves as an exploration of the inner workings of my mind and body after recent disruptions among my relationships and personal struggles with mental health and identity. For this work, I was inspired by the abstract world-building of Brianna Noble, as well as her and Papay Solomon’s focus on the human form. I was influenced by both artists to use myself as the subject of these works, as it is a personal piece on self-reflection. The vertical painting is up close and personal, pondering from an outside view of my thoughts and emotions. The horizontal painting takes place in a flesh-like chamber, overgrown with flora. Here I sit, small in comparison to everything else in the chamber—representative of feeling small and consumed within myself. Flowers are typically seen as the growth of something beautiful, however I included them as something intruding on my spirit, deceiving with their beauty as they grow and infect my mind and body. In both paintings, two crucial parts of the human body—the heart and the brain—are left vulnerable and unprotected, much like how I’ve felt during this time.

Nicki B Naghshieneh (born 2003)

Equality, 2022

Ceramic Tempe High School

The main concept of my artwork is to show equality, and I related it to myself by using my native language Farsi (Persian). The artwork looks like ‘‘برابری ” from the top, but I made the letters in different heights from the sides. Persian is a western Iranian language, belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. By making this artwork, my goal was to show all people are equal, regardless of their race, gender, and religion. My inspiration was from Mia B. Adams because she also makes artworks to show social and political issues that are significant to her in order to move us towards equality and justice.

Miles D’Aguanno (born 2004)

Plasticity, 2022

Mixed media Shadow Mountain High School

In 2021, a study published by Elsevier found microplastics in four out of six human placentas collected. In a similar study, polymeric particles and fibers were found in 13 out of 20 human lung tissue samples. Inspired by Jacob Meders and Mimi O Chun’s usage of meaningful materials to invoke introspection, this piece is intended to emphasize the increasing levels of man-made waste products in natural forms and the role that large corporations play as a source of these microplastics. I’ve incorporated a new understanding of the importance of the materials used with the goal of reusing plastics for this project and establishing the importance of something as simple as a plastic bag.

Mia Jacks (born 2005)

Perception, 2022

Digital photography Chaparral High School

This piece explores what it means to be human, and the role society plays in gender expression. I wanted to create a piece that questioned the viewer and how they perceived themselves. I was very influenced by Steffi Faircloth and Sam Fresquez, artists who both create work that inquires about identity and culture. I took a lot of inspiration from Steffi’s dreamlike style and Sam’s exploration of gender roles.

Shadow Mountain High School

Standards, 2022

Acrylic paint, photo transfer, and embroidery thread Shadow Mountain High School

This piece explores Western beauty standards and the artificiality behind them. In zooming close-up on the features, I want to divorce the facial features from the face as a whole, calling attention both to how we hyper-fixate on our flaws and how we compare all our life to the best parts of someone else’s. I was inspired by Papay Solomon’s incredible work in photorealistic portraiture but opted to display many fragmented faces instead of a unified whole. I also wanted to explore how today’s beauty standard, sometimes called “Instagram face,” takes elements from beauty standards all over the world but only deems them acceptable on the white face. Photo transfer was the way I chose to achieve realism in this piece, and I hope that the worn appearance of my transfers reminds viewers that nothing is ever as perfect as it appears on the surface.

Madison Pinto (born 2003)

Untitled, 2022

Digital photography Chaparral High School

For this Visions project, I was inspired by Sam Fresquez’s work. I like how she took popular romantic movies that featured hetero-relationships and inserted herself in them to make them LGBTQ+ relationships. She wanted to see something that represented herself in popular media. For my photos, I did a similar thing. I decided to take depictions of depression from some of my favorite shows and insert myself into them. My process included searching for a scene that inspired me and taking a picture of myself in that scene as the depressed role. I like to focus on my mental health, and this was a new interesting way to do that. I wanted my pictures to look as close to the original scene as possible in order to immerse myself in the story.

Mackenzie Mayer (born 2005)

Untitled, 2022

Digital photography Chaparral High School

These photos show the intersection between gender expression and the historical projection of femininity onto inanimate objects and parts of nature. With this piece, I wanted to explore the visual aspects of femininity and masculinity by using colorful and soft imagery. During this project I took inspiration from both Steffi Faircloth and Sam Fresquez’s expression of identity within their work.

Ky-Mani Harney (born 2004)

Way of Life, 2022

Mixed media Saguaro High School

My theme for this piece is about how I interpret what my moccasins mean to me. Moccasins are the specific shoes I wear when dressed in my traditional regalia. I have had them my entire life, and no matter how much I take care of them they seem to get beat up and torn; now they are held together with duct tape. They represent how they walk me through life and symbolize how, after everything Indigenious people have been through, we are still here fighting to be heard while remaining resilient. I chose to paint a picture of me wearing my traditional regalia in the circle, surrounded by many other strong dancers from my community to show we are connected. The reason for me choosing to paint on a mirror was to be a literary representation of me looking at my past self and seeing where I was and the reflection of where I am now. The artist that I took inspiration from was Papay Solomon. He inspired me to explore oil painting—the biggest reason being how he takes importance in getting to know his subjects so that it aids him in painting them.

Jonathan Sanchez (born 2003)

Untitled, 2022

Ceramic and candles Tempe High School

This piece represents the world view of many transgender people. While many struggle with gender dysphoria or an unaccepting home life, many also deal with discrimination. Discriminatory remarks made against trans people are made to belittle, invalidate, and make them second-guess their truth. I was inspired by Mia B. Adams and her use of candles in her piece Remember. I thought the use of the melting candles was an interesting choice of materials, especially since once a candle is lit, it cannot be restored to its original form. Just as the candles were melted to erase the names of the people who were victims, I wanted to show how discriminatory remarks made towards people can weigh on one's heart.

Jazel Samawi (born 2006)

What is a Wilting Rose Worth?, 2022

Mixed media Pinnacle High School

This piece is a representation of the withering mental health of the public, especially the teenage mind. The mind is a fragile and vulnerable place. It is easily affected by the words and actions of others, forcing it to create a protective shield—an object to help block out negative things from the public. Schooling and social media both have one thing in common: the deterioration of minds throughout the world. Society seems to struggle to accept those who suffer in their society, forcing a person, a living and breathing thing, out for something they cannot control. I was influenced by Kaitlyn Jo Smith and her idea of negative space along with the idea of artistic freedom. By using these tactics, I was able to create what I had envisioned along with its message, not only in an emotional way but also in a physical way.

Jaqueline I. Serrano (born 2004)

Meltdown, 2022

Wax Tempe High School

This piece portrays the feeling of keeping thoughts and emotions bottled up for others’ sake. The feeling of wanting to scream but feeling numb all at once. The concept and idea for this culture had been in the works before Visions but was only brought to life with Visions’ help. Mia B. Adams’s Remember and Remember 2 were a big inspiration. I was inspired by the way she used candles in her pieces: the idea that once a candle is lit, it cannot be changed back. Even if you melt it down and remold it, you’re left with less wax than you initially had. I wanted my piece to make the viewer think—not just about the connection they can make to their own emotions, but also connection to how those emotions can affect them and others who are conflicted by similar issues regarding bottled up feelings and emotions.

Izzy Bernstein (born 2003)

Eclipse of Woman, 2022

Digital photography Chaparral High School

In my piece, Eclipse of Woman, I attempt to portray the complexity of womanhood as one journeys through adolescence. Our view of womanhood is widely shaped by the people you surround yourself with, the media you consume, the culture you grow up in—some positive, some negative, but all subjective. You must decide how you perceive it, how you perceive yourself. I wanted to take classically beautiful portraits—big innocent eyes, long beautiful dress—but with elements of drama, mystery, and uncertainty. I used monochromatic red lighting to bring in elements of melodrama and “the allure” surrounding young women. To portray the uncertainty and unpredictability that surrounds coming into your own and figuring yourself out as you mature. I was greatly inspired by Lily Reeves and her photography. I loved how she took classic-style portraits but used monochrome, light, and color to portray emotion and her intended meaning behind the piece.

New School for the Arts & Academics

Cold Case, 2022

Mixed media New School for the Arts & Academics

Cold Case explores the loneliness that comes with growing up as a “weird kid.” The emotional isolation that outcast children experience at a pitifully young age leads to desperation and feelings of trying to figure out what is “wrong” with them. This, in my case, resulted in having a disjointed, fragmented, view of my identity and of what is considered normal. In Cold Case, I explore these ideas using inanimate objects that embody or portray a human sensibility or emotion in this series of photographs.

Ian Skelton (born 2003)

Dermal Tissue, 2022

Cyanotype on clothing New School for the Arts & Academics

Dermal Tissue portrays the way trauma influences future development. Trauma becomes truly dangerous when it’s ignored or dismissed. Traumatized people often perceive social cues as more aggressive and, consequently, live most of their lives experiencing flight-or-fight responses. Constant perceived threats can influence us to become bitter and opportunistic to protect ourselves emotionally. The thorny mesquite branches are a representation of pursuing self-preservation and the potential damage it can cause. One major unsolved issue can affect your judgment for years, growing into a much larger complex problem.

Hudson Palethorpe (born 2005)

Untitled, 2022

Mixed media Chaparral High School

These pieces reflect my current experience in my junior year of high school as I am dealing with mental/physical health issues, family problems, and social problems. The photos are meant to feel depressing and foggy to reflect how I feel and more on a day-to-day basis. I also don't have a super-solid concept with a specific meaning behind it because I feel like the main idea is often subconscious and will come out in the art. I was inspired by Steffi Faircloth and the way she composes a photo that can stand out and speak for itself with or without explanation. Influenced by her image composition and creative editing techniques, I hope I created solid content with an interesting installation.

Henry Dollak (born 2004)

Oddball Max, 2022

Digital photography New School for the Arts & Academics

My series, Oddball Max, explores narrative with the main character, Max, the awkward ram-person who shares his thoughts in a variety of moments. This series is my way of expressing my everyday feelings about the complexities of identity and the innate absurdities of life. With inspiration from artist Sam Fresquez, I explored different ways of storytelling through varying media, as well as artist Ernie Button, who led me in the right creative direction and reignited my love for photography.

Hailee McLaughlin (born 2003)

The Spills of Humanity, 2022

Oil, fabric, and acrylic Shadow Mountain High School

The Spills of Humanity explores the theme of pollution. I chose to use oil paints to represent the severity of oil mines and spills that are damaging our environment. The visual representation of the hollowed-out face leaves space for new life to grow, sending the message that humans as a whole should change how we view pollution. The techniques used in this piece are heavily inspired by melissa m button’s collage work and Papay Solomon’s oil painting techniques.

New School for the Arts & Academics

Repressive State, 2022

Digital photography New School for the Arts & Academics

For this project, I wanted to create a visual representation of my struggles with mental health. I was inspired by artist Steffi Faircloth and how her images reveal raw emotions while critiquing social and cultural norms. Growing up in this society, I have always felt inadequate for who I truly am. Our society preaches to have pride from within but is built upon the manipulation of people's insecurities. These images are for me to finally validate my struggles as well as anyone else who struggles with them!

Fiona Goergen (born 2005)

Without Influence, 2022

Acrylic on wood Saguaro High School

For my final Visions project, I wanted to paint a representation of the divine feminine. It’s a painting of a girl sitting in a field of flowers. I wanted the flowers to represent how we as a society can get lost in social beauty standards. The girl is the focal point and I decided to paint her in a neutral tone and naked. I wanted her to have a raw surface to represent being untouched by others influences, like how we are when we’re first born. I chose to use Brianna Noble as my inspiration for two reasons. The first reason is because of the way she portrays her concepts: straightforward and in their purest form. The other reason is how her work is open to interpretation, allowing the audience to perceive and explore different perspectives.

Finley Kent (born 2006)

Unwanted, 2022

Clothing, cardboard, and elastic bands Tempe High School

This sculpture represents the mass production of clothes in the world. Americans throw away an estimated 81 pounds/37 kilograms of clothing every year, and most of it ends up in landfills or is burned. I am showing the effects of fashion pollution with these bundles of clothes, and I am representing fast-fashion and mass production of everyday items, in this case, clothing. This sculpture is meant to show the reality of fast-fashion and the damaging effects it has. I was influenced by artist Mia B. Adams’s use of symbolic sculptures in her artwork. In her piece titled Unruly, composed of flat irons in a big pile, I drew inspiration from her usage of taking up ground space and forcing people to walk by and look at this massive object.

Euan Garvie (born 2005)

Qbe, 2022

Analog and digital photography New School for the Arts & Academics

This piece breaks away from the boundaries set by traditional art by depicting photographs on a three-dimensional sculptural medium. This idea came to me through my love for math and geometric structures. I also wanted to challenge the viewer to interact with the piece in a three-dimensional space. This idea was built off my past art, in which I created tessellations and tilings, as well as inspired by the diversity of this year’s Visions artists. When I brought those ideas together, I came up with the idea of an image as a pixelated cube. My reason for creating this work was to explore some of the artistic ideas that I have looked into and used as inspiration in the past and to gather them into a cohesive work.

Emily Miu (born 2004)

Carnage, 2022

Mixed media Pinnacle High School

Sometimes I feel closer to death than I do life, and the emptiness that consumes me seems almost peaceful. This piece is meant to radiate that feeling. Through the process of creating this piece, I also experienced the feeling of when you have lost a part of yourself before you have even realized it—and being defeated before you've even started—that I see in it now. I was inspired by Lena Klett and Merryn Omotayo Alaka in their usage of beads. Merryn planned her placement of the beads in her work very strategically and Lena Klett made the beads have an almost liquid feel that I wanted to emulate in my piece.

Desta Wakeland (born 2004)

Mocking of Birds, 2022

Cyanotype book New School for the Arts & Academics

Mocking of the Birds is inspired by the artist Mimi O Chun and her piece UberLift XL. What most inspired me was the use of birds and the acknowledgement of struggles during quarantine. I connected most with the natural, peaceful, freedom expressed in this piece in contrast to the daily stresses and strife of humans. To solidify these thoughts and feelings, bleaching and toning was used in my cyanotype process, along with a series of text composed into a Haiku format. I cannot help but admire these creatures that have no worries or fears other than that of survival; although they may look free, they are still chained to the sky.

Conley Twiggs (2004)

Flowing Together, 2022

Digital painting and animation Chaparral High School

I have always been connected to community through differences. Living in multiple towns and cities, I’ve noticed communities fall into their own groups but are still connected, like flocks of birds. Mimi O Chun inspired my use of birds through her bird soft sculptures floating in the air. Her use of birds to relate to human behavior inspired me to use birds in my animation and relate them to communities of people. For the visual aspect of my animation, I am projecting it onto the wall so people can put themselves into the community by standing in front of the projection and letting it flow across their face. Being included is important, and because I have had the experience of interacting with different groups of people, I realize how important it is to be included.

Clara Mckinley (born 2005)

Energy Protector, 2022

Oil and acrylic on wood, mixed media Saguaro High School

My piece shows my life and how trust has influenced it. Trust has always been something in my life that people discussed as a positive aspect and is something you could hold in other people. Lately I have learned that it’s not as good as it seems; you constantly have to protect yourself and always have to be analyzing the people you surround yourself with. In retrospect, not everyone deserves your trust, and in that, I will protect myself and my peace at all costs. Working with Brianna Noble, she has become a big influence on the work I create. All her pieces are an ode to what’s going on in her life at the moment and the experiences she faced. For that, I love how I can sense how real she is and the genuine truth of her life.

Carlos Romero (born 2005)

The Museum of Art, 2022

Acrylic and oil on canvas Shadow Mountain High School

This piece was influenced by Papay Solomon and Therosia Reynolds, both artists who inspired me to give meticulous care to my piece and to search for ways to combine other mediums. I incorporated both oil paints and acrylics in a meaningful way. My piece is about the change in how people have perceived art throughout time, which I decided to convey by giving homage to some famous paintings from renowned artists who challenged the way others might have perceived art with the uniqueness of their styles and ideas. My purpose is to make the viewer think about how the work of several people, who sought to challenge the expectations of art, have revolutionized it to this day. I decided to represent this through a museum view that displays all their works. At the center of the piece is an entrance that represents the artworks that are still to come.

Brooke Lutzel (born 2006)

The Love and Hate Within, 2022

Ceramic Pinnacle High School

This piece represents the pull between love and hate within ourselves. While creating this project, it felt like a rebirth happened in me that went from hatred to love towards myself. While creating this piece, I was spiraling down a black hole, feeling consumed by the Earth and myself. This work is about my life and the hardships I have endured in the past year with my mental health. I created this project, a bust of myself blossoming into a new person. I wanted to keep it organic, which is symbolized by small parts of dark strands in the hair while the rest is white. I was inspired by the artists Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Mia B. Adams. I fell in love with the black and white aspect of Merryn’s work, and the political and mental health awareness of Mia’s.

Benjamin Winkler (born 2005)

Improvident Weed, 2022

Oil on canvas Shadow Mountain High School

Inspired by Brianna Noble and the poem Plants by Olive Senior, this piece tackles the detrimental effects of mental illness, namely a loss of identity. Brianna Noble created a multi-canvas piece that uses color contrast in oil paints to effectively create elements of light and dark. In my piece, Improvident Weed, plants will represent the idea of decay, wear and tear, and overgrowth to contrast predetermined notions of plants symbolizing growth. The plants represent suffocation and the lack of control that mental illness creates for its victims. The use of dark shadows and negative space gives the piece a sense of darkness that would be associated with the negative effects of mental illness. The plants block her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; this will represent more aspects of suffocation, blindness, and an overwhelming lack of control. The second canvas tackles a loss of identity and sense of self; the disconnect between canvases represents a similar disconnect between mind and body. In losing the subject’s senses as a result of mental illness, she clings on to the “perfect” identity of the ceramic head. As vines and moss drape across canvases, within her sleeves and out of the ceramic head itself, the viewer can recognize how the mental illness plagues her self-identity and infests every aspect of her image. As a result, the viewer acknowledges how the piece uses plants to create a dark theme and questions how this darkness and suffocation contribute to a connection with mental illness.

Belle Waggoner (born 2005)

Our Heart, 2022

Mixed media New School for the Arts & Academics

For my art piece this year, called Our Heart, I did a cyanotype on fabric, which is a process where we use light-sensitive chemicals to create an image on organic material. After creating a composited cyanotype image of a heart on fabric, I then embroidered the piece, showcasing the veins of the print. My inspiration for doing this project mainly came from the artist Mimi O Chun. I have come to love her work after seeing her exhibition last year. The idea for this work originated after I first met her in person. After dealing with a lot of my physical and internal appearance of becoming healthier, I acknowledged the fact that eating healthier and doing things like physical activities or mental ones can help our bodies. Our Heart is based on the fact that doing better for ourselves can help all of our little hearts.

Bella Bethurum (born 2005)

Stratosphere, 2022

Mixed media Saguaro High School

How much awareness is there of change, if any? My piece addresses the unforgiving and agile nature of change—how it stakes its claim on every flower-picking child without warning. My artist inspiration is melissa m button, who uses found paper and print techniques to add layers to her drawings. In the left frame, I used some of her paper techniques and combined them with a soft and childlike palette. On the right, I used graphite. I decided on graphite first, and it was very difficult for me to choose what medium to use next to it. I knew I wanted a duller medium, graphite, on the same yellow paper from the left frame because I knew I wanted to bring out the dirty color of the paper more than the left-hand colors do. This paper is yellow in both, but its larger presence in the right frame represents how the dirtiness of change follows us through life, but we become more aware of it in our older years, when we leave behind the brightness of adolescence. I also set my pieces in the American Midwest because of the Midwest’s history as a symbol of change in our nation. Using the contrast between mediums, the setting of the piece, and button’s techniques, I hope to communicate what it means to be subject to the unstoppable force that is change.

Ava Martin (born 2003)

Torn, 2022

Digital photography Chaparral High School

This work explores the complex relationship we have with ourselves in this shallow, ever-changing world. We live in an age of facades and face masks. An overwhelming excess of media promises to “fix” us with the latest craze. I wanted this piece to depict the raw, emotional side that comes with battling self-acceptance in such an overwhelming society. Great inspiration for this piece comes from Steffi Faircloth and her work with self-expression and the influence society has on how we view ourselves.

Ashley G. Fierros (born 2004)

A heartening moment, 2022

Mixed media Tempe High School

This piece represents how we are all different in our own ways, meaning beautiful. We’ve grown with a mindset that beauty is all about perfection and having no imperfections, which has caused us all overwhelming insecurities. The title of the piece is A heartening moment because the definition of heartening is “increasing confidence.” I wish that when we think about us being unique from one another, our confidence would increase. Brianna Noble is an artist who uses self-portraits to explain who she is or her feelings. Her artwork inspired me to make a visual representation of people’s self-images, and this piece is a lifelike sculpture of how I view us when we flourish. The message of this piece is to know that we’re all one of a kind; no one is similar. We have our own special image that makes each of us beautiful.

Upcoming Events More Past Exhibitions

Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation

Visions ’22

May 13 - Oct 2, 2022

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Artworks

Eilish’s Effect, 2022

Butterfly Life, 2022

Bubble, 2022

Modern Majority, 2022

The Heartbreak of Love, 2022

Taking the Next Step, 2022

Metamorphosis, 2022

Untitled, 2022

Overcome in Overgrowth, 2022

Equality, 2022

Plasticity, 2022

Perception, 2022

Standards, 2022

Untitled, 2022

Untitled, 2022

Way of Life, 2022

Untitled, 2022

What is a Wilting Rose Worth?, 2022

Meltdown, 2022

Eclipse of Woman, 2022

Cold Case, 2022

Dermal Tissue, 2022

Untitled, 2022

Oddball Max, 2022

The Spills of Humanity, 2022

Repressive State, 2022

Without Influence, 2022

Unwanted, 2022

Qbe, 2022

Carnage, 2022

Mocking of Birds, 2022

Flowing Together, 2022

Energy Protector, 2022

The Museum of Art, 2022

The Love and Hate Within, 2022

Improvident Weed, 2022

Our Heart, 2022

Stratosphere, 2022

Torn, 2022

A heartening moment, 2022

More Exhibitions

The Close Observation of Inanimate Objects

Visions ’20

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