By TRENT ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School held its annual student Art Show on Monday, April 20 in the main corridor of the school. This event, led by Photography teacher, Mrs. Maria Chidester, gives a chance for students of many of the various art classes offered at the school to be recognized for their work and show off what they had created.
Lining the walls of the school’s main hall were the Photography students’ submissions. Students were required to submit three pieces to be put on display which created a large exhibit of photos spanning the entire hallway, posted in every conceivable spectating angle.
In addition to the Photography class, the show had the support of several other MVHS classes. Immediately at the entrance, the Fashions class had set up various dress designs for display complete with flower-patterned designs and bright colors set up on dress-form mannequins.
In an off-shoot of the hall, the school’s Agriculture classes had a display which included several kinds of plants and flowers. Ag teacher, Denise O’Toole had also helped organize the show.
Students in Construction Tech and Welding also had a segment of the floor devoted to their doings. The students had created several miniature models of houses made of wood.
Taking up a larger segment of the show was the work of students in the Drawing, Art, and Ceramic classes. Like the Photography students, these students were also required to submit a number of pieces to the show. Because of this, the school library was converted into a small exhibit. The different kinds of art were separated into small groups of pieces but were all judged in one big pool by art teacher, Donna Swanson.
Near main entry of the show were two special displays for advanced students in the Photography and Ceramics classes. One of these was exclusively dedicated to the only four-year Photography student, Nephi Boren. His submitted works consisted of many pieces that had won Best of Show in years previous. Boren had no new photos in the show this year. But as the program’s only fourth year, Boren was given the role to announce the prizes near the end of the show.
“Not very many students stay in the class all four years,” said Chidester, “So it’s traditional for an advanced student to have the responsibility to present the younger students with the prizes.”
The other display showed off work of the only four year Ceramic student, Kaylee Fisher. She also had various works from her four years in the class. Her piece from this year, ‘Serenity’, was a large gray bust of a woman and was awarded Reserve Champion in the Art Department by the teacher.
The general submissions were divided into eight different categories each having a Honorable Mention and First, Second, and Third winner and prize. These categories included Architecture which included submissions from Construction and Photography, People, Flowers and Nature which included Ag and Photography students, Animals, Still Life, Portraits, and Digital Art.
After the winners of the different categories were listed, Boren announced several Judges Choice awards and afterward the Best of Show.
This year’s Best of Show award went to Christina Johnson for her photograph depicting a Native American boy entitled, ‘Native Glare.’
“The students worked hard and I’m proud of them,” Chidester said, “I’m so glad that they’re able to show off like this.”
