zNewsletter Sunday

Ohio County Schools Celebrates the Arts

By Joselyn King 4 min read

Wheeling Park High School senior Jenna Cecconi was left nearly speechless when approached by a visitor to the "Celebration of the Arts" event Thursday night at the school.

"Is that your painting - that one in the corner in the frame?" he asked her. She told him the painting - one depicting a fire in the woods - was hers.

"I would take that home with me right now," the man added as he congratulated her on her effort.

Students from throughout Ohio County Schools showed off their artwork as part of the "Celebration of the Arts," and Cecconi's efforts were among those in the senior showcase section.

"I guess it's inspiring," she said after the man walked away. "It shows maybe my art is going in the right direction."

Cecconi said she started drawing when she was in elementary school, and has sought to take an art class each year since then. Surprisingly, she doesn't plan to major in art when she moves on to West Virginia University next year, but rather in theater.

"Art is definitely a side thing, and I will try to sell my art in college," she said. "Later, I might go on to a college that specializes in art."

The "Celebration of the Arts" event for the first time took place mostly in the school’s new Innovative Learning Center, which has a focus on math and science learning.

But as school officials will point out, when you add art to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning, you get "STEAM."

Music and drama students, meanwhile, showcased their efforts in the school's new grand foyer.

WPHS art teacher Russ Schultz acknowledged that too often today the arts take a back seat as many school districts instead focus on math and science efforts.

"Luckily, in this county, we keep arts on the forefront," he said. "In many other counties in West Virginia, it's just not there. Most counties don't even have middle school art programs, and they're losing their middle school programs."

Schultz said there were about 500 examples of visual art on display in the Innovative Learning Center created by students from pre-kindergarten through high school. The event gives the "up and coming" young artists a chance to get noticed by the art teachers in the higher grades, he explained. In turn, the young artists can see what is being created by those in the upper grades and perhaps be inspired by them.

Celebrating the arts also gives a place to those in the schools who are creative, Schultz continued.

"Each kid has their own thing. Sometimes it's sports, sometimes it's science and sometimes it's the arts," he said.

Senior Amanda Walker worked on a sculpture of character she said is meant to help young people deal with "high school drama." She noted that a lot of her art is inspired by "the harder things in life."

Her works - a mixture of light and dark tones - were on display behind her.

Walker has plans to major in creative arts therapy at West Liberty University.

"Art can be used to heal," she explained. "I want to do that for someone else, because it's something I never had."

Sophomore Moira Smith's self-portrait of her as a clown was among the standout works, and she said she is inspired by circuses and surrealism.

"I love the colors and the textures, and I love mushing it all together," she said.

Smith has set her sights on WVU and being a puppetry major, and her goal is to someday work for the Jim Henson Company.

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