Photos by Shawn Nowlin
In addition to some talented juniors, the 2017 IB Art Program at Salem High School also consists of eight seniors: Kelly Richards, Ellisa Ayers, Jennie Battaglia, Colton Brushwood, Madi Paine, Hadyn Perler, Casey Sutphin and Breanna Mcintosh. Each of them were present Tuesday, April 4, at the Salem Museum for their fourth consecutive Spartan Art Show which will go through April 26 this year.
Mike Gibson has been an IB Art Teacher for the last 24 years and says it’s important to give students platforms to display their talents. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with some extremely talented students over the years,” he said. “I had one young man win an Oscar for his work on the Disney film ‘Inside Out’ and another kid attend the Pratt Institute which is the number one art school in New York.”
Before arriving at the museum, every Salem High senior wrote an artist’s statement. “Everything in nature offers me new ideas for artwork and those concepts are built on by my abstract thoughts,” Colton Asher Brushwood said. “I like to produce pieces that force people to look closer into my mind.”
Eighteen-year-old Casey Sutphin said she wants to be a doctor. “My hope for the future is to be an Orthopedic Surgeon. Expressing this through art helps me learn more about this specific field,” she said. “I also project my love for space and nature and combine them to create a mixture of interest to come together.”
To improve her skills as an artist, Kelly Richards started to think outside of the box. “All of my art is dedicated to making a statement without using words,” she said. “I have a great attachment to nature and all of its beauty. I love when I get a chance to incorporate nature into my pieces.”
Gibson says the main reason why he decided to come to Salem High School was because of the IB Art Program. “My students keep me young and energetic,” he said.
