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When a compliment isn't a compliment

3/6/2020

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OPINION by Chris Martin, Art Instructor, SASHS
Hey, SASD! March is Youth Art Month, which is a big deal for art students and art teachers, but it might not be a big deal for you. It should be and here's why.

When we see art that moves us or pleases us, we want to acknowledge that. We want to tell the artist. This is especially true with the young artists, the student artists, in our lives. Brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, sons and daughters- we feel compelled to praise the amazing things they've made, but do we take the time to really appreciate those things first? Do we think about what we really want to say and what we really want them to hear from us? Time and again, people toss off compliments to student artists that are well-intended, but aren't really compliments. 

'You're so talented!'
'That's actually not bad!'
'I could never do that!'
'Could you just...?"


"You're so talented!"
The implication of this statement is that one has a gift from a higher power and that all of the practice, the overcoming of failure, and hours of deep reflection have little to do with it. One may have a gift, but a gift alone goes nowhere without hard work. And student artists work hard. Many, many hours are spent honing skills. If it's a creative work, lots of thought and practice are required to develop effective compositions and to learn how to use visual cues to carry forward ideas. It isn't just talent that makes all of that happen.

"That's actually not bad!"
Don't sound so surprised! This is really a backhanded compliment. The implication is that the art-maker has surprised us by being able to do something well. Turn that telescope around and it would be really easy to develop the impression that we don't generally think of that art-maker as a capable person. We may not mean it that way, but it sure sounds like it. We need to be aware that a less than thoughtful intention to say something complimentary could end up sending the opposite message.

"I could never do that!"
We should keep that one to ourselves. Why? Because it's about us, not about the art or the artist. The fact of the matter is that most people could make art, but they don't choose to focus on developing those skills and thought processes. That's why we should value it. Becoming an artist involves an uncommon set of choices that not every one of us is willing to make. Artmaking results in a public display of very personal things. Picasso said, "Art is a lie that tells the truth." Art is an attempt by artists to tell us all a greater truth... about the artist, about the times, about humanity. Few of us even try to do that, so we should celebrate those who do.

"Could you just...?"
This is a big one and a lot of us do it. It's intended to be the biggest compliment, a vote of confidence in an artist's ability, but it can create real resentment.

"Could you just draw me a pirate for my bulletin board?"
"Could you just make a sign for the rummage sale?"
"Could you just paint a backdrop for the church play?"


While the person speaking intends to convey that they understand that the maker is good at what they do, the word "just" disqualifies all of the time and effort that goes into it. There is a big difference between "Could you make a sign for me?" and "Could you JUST make a sign for me?" While the first doesn't implicitly acknowledge an effort, the second one explicitly states that very little effort will be required... and that isn't true.

​Artists often labor over even simple visual decisions. They care deeply about visual things. To a non-artist, making art might seem like effortless magic, but it isn't. To many artists, all visual things, no matter the requestor's intention or investment, are a big deal. That doesn't mean never ask anyone to do anything, but it does mean that we should be aware of what we are asking.  We should appreciate that we are asking a person to do a special kind of work that we may not be able to do ourselves.


'Joe, I've been asking people to give a couple of hours or donate something to sell at the rummage sale. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help us out by making a sign.'

Why point these things out? Just to complain? To make people feel bad?

No, the answer is simple: it's Youth Art Month. If we'd all take a few minutes over this month to reflect on those who make art and ask ourselves (and them) why they do it, we might come to place more value in those artistic efforts. If we examine a work of art simply for what it is, and not for how it compares to what we ourselves do, we might develop more appreciation for the thought and skill needed to make it. If we'd celebrate young artists' hard work, their emotional struggles, their risk-taking, and their unique points-of-view, we might bring ourselves a lot closer to understanding those young artists in our lives.

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SCHEDULING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL

2/7/2020

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8th through 11th grade students and their parents joined teachers and guidance counselors at the high school on February 4, 2020, from 6:00pm - 8:15pm to get information about scheduling courses at SASHS. The program featured high school teachers discussing the offerings of their departments and answering parent questions. Guidance counselors were on hand to explain the scheduling process.

Students who are new to the district should contact the High School Guidance Office to schedule for next year. Any students who need to make changes to their schedules should contact the Guidance Office by August 2020.  
​
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Scholastic 144, 2018 Edition!

11/30/2018

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Picture"Self Portrait", Abby Williard
We’re proud of the following SASHS Artists who were accepted into the 2018 Scholastic 144 Exhibit at Shippensburg University! 
- Zoe Williard
- Abby Williard
- Kim Braet
- Madelyn Facchinei
​- Kaitlyn Durff
- Grace Daihl
​- Ryland Barrow
The opening reception was on Saturday November 3rd from 1 – 3 p.m.  at Huber Art Center's Kauffman Gallery on the Shippensburg University Campus.  The exhibit ran from November 2nd to November 16th, 2018.  
This exhibition featured the finest art work by high school juniors and seniors from select counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Two dimensional entries were limited to 144 square inches and three dimensional entries were limited 12" x 12" x 12". This exhibition featured over $1,100 in prizes.

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A.P. ART HISTORY GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH ART IN PHILADELPHIA

11/17/2018

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​Students from the A.P. Art History journeyed to the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum to have an authentic encounter with ancient art and more modern masterworks. Experts universally agree that close-up experiences with art, both in museums and galleries, creates stronger understanding of the art and a greater aesthetic response. Our art history students viewed prehistoric, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art at the Penn Museum, and works by great masters Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and more at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (gallery below)

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AP Studio Art visits Art Of The State

9/15/2018

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This month, the AP Studio Art class and the high school art teachers visited the annual "Art of the State" juried exhibition at the State Museum in Harrisburg. The exhibit features art by professional artists from all over the Commonwealth. While there, the group met Best of Show winning artist, Isaac Pelepko (shown above with the group, posing in front of his winning painting). This trip has become an annual tradition for the AP Studio group and their teachers.
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Scholastic Art Awards 2017-18

5/1/2018

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The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program provides scholarships and recognition for for teenagers in the United States who demonstrate excellence in the visual arts and in writing. The program was created in 1923 by Robbie Robinson, the founder of the Scholastic Corporation. Past winners of Scholastic awards include Andy Warhol, Frances Farmer, Cy Twombly, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Richard Linklater, Stephen King, John Updike, Ken Burns, Lena Dunham, Paul Chan, Kay WalkingStick, Zac Posen and Joyce Carol Oates.

 The SASD Art Department is proud to announce that this year 30 Shippensburg High School works of art were entered in the prestigious contest of which 15 were selected for recognition. We are especially proud of our Gold Key winning art entries by SASHS artists Ally Mankamyer (sculpture), Sophia Wewer (photography), and Nicole Weaver (mixed media). Sophia Wewer (SASHS) received recognition for multiple photographs and Paul Williard (SASHS) was recognized for multiple works, including two in art and one in poetry. Greyhounds Kim Braet (SASHS) and Chalaina Potts (SAMS) were recognized for their respective poetry and short story contributions.
     Gold and Silver Key award winners will be recognized at a reception at the State Musuem in Harrisburg on March 10, 2018. The full list of SASD Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners is found below.

​2017-18 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Honorees
Chalaina Potts (SAMS), Silver Key, Short Story; Kim Braet (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Poetry; Sydney Camut (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Photography; Madelyn Facchinei (SASHS), Silver Key, Sculpture; Sierra Hardin (SASHS), Silver Key, Sculpture; Lillian Kendall (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Photography;  Mary (Ally) Mankamyer (SASHS), Gold Key, Sculpture; Kendra Ocker (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Painting; Abigail Rosenberry (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Painting; Kalea Rotz (SASHS), Honorable Mention, Painting; Nicole Weaver (SASHS), Gold Key, Mixed Medial; Sophia Wewer (SASHS), Multiple awards- Silver and Gold keys, Photography; Paul Williard (SASHS), Multiple awards, multiple categories: Honorable Mention and Silver Key- Mixed media, Honorable Mention- Poetry.

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2017-18 AP Studio Art SHOW, "CLOSURE" at the SHAPE Gallery

4/1/2018

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​Collecting and selecting work for any art show is a stressful moment for an artist. When the selections are being made for a show that celebrates a culminating moment, it becomes doubly intense.

​"Closure," the 16th annual Advanced Placement Studio Art Exhibition, was show with a weighty name. A collection that celebrated achievements, it also represented a significant mile marker in the students' artistic lives. The show featured work by senior artists Paige Cavanaugh, Ashton Harryman, Faith Howard, Maxwell Rakentine, Kalea Rotz, Victoria Sidella, and Sophia Wewer.

The show ran  from March 2-30, 2018, at the S.H.A.P.E. Gallery, 19 East King Street, Shippensburg and was produced with the generous support of Cabin On King and S.H.A.P.E., the SASHS AP Art Show has been a S.H.A.P.E. tradition since 2002.
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