By Kate Anders

Eliza Howard (‘19) has expressed herself through art since she was in Middle School. Whether it was drawing, painting, or sculpting, she always excelled in every art class she was in. Seven years later, Howard is now continuing to improve her art skills in the Upper School’s Honors Art class and recently displayed one of her pieces in the class’s art show.

A piece inspired by Howard’s “renewal.” Photo credit: Eliza Howard.

After not taking an art class her junior year, Howard was thrown into the expressive and intense Honors Art, and she says, “I struggled in the beginning, because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing.” Howard continued, saying that “it was an adjustment from regular art classes, because everyone isn’t doing the same thing. Instead, everyone is working on their own projects, which is very unique.” Honors Art is only offered to seniors who have completed their art requirements and show interest in the class. One must receive the offer from Upper School art teachers Pam Sutherland or Jere Williams, the co-teachers of the class. The sixteen art students have created four pieces so far and are in the process of making their next piece.

When she first found out about the fall art show, Howard was “really excited about it.” Collegiate’s annual spring Art Walk was usually the only opportunity for the students to share their work to the public. Howard said that the class “wanted to give everyone a tease of the spring art show and also wanted to showcase some of their first semester pieces.” Every student had to choose only one of their pieces to showcase in the show. Howard “was in between two drawings and struggled to make the decision.” After she examined her pieces, she chose the drawing called “renewal”. She “loved the process of the drawing” and might even create another piece that has a very similar style.

Photo credit: Kate Anders.

On Sunday, Jan. 27, many people from the Collegiate community gathered at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in Carytown to take in the Honors students’ artwork, in an exhibit titled “Slice.” The spacious art studio was filled with friends and family of the artists and the general public. To make everyone feel welcomed and comfortable, the class provided an assortment of snacks and cake from the famous Richmond dessert shop Shyndigz.

The showcase was fascinating, because every student had a piece that was completely different from the rest. There were drawings, paintings, sculptures, and prints. Each student had a different story behind their work, which gave them originality and meaning.

Howard’s “renewal” sparked the attention of almost everyone who walked into the room. Onlookers wonder what the story behind it is or what inspired her to draw it. Kamryn Sloane (‘19), who attended the show, said that she “liked its simplicity. It was nostalgic, because I used to and still doodle all of the time.” In the piece’s profile, Howard says that the drawing “came to me during a time where I was unsound and feeling unbalanced,” and it “became a stress reliever and constant spot for safety.” The detailed pattern that filled nine nine-by-nine inch pieces of paper was one of the many hits of the art show and will continue to be one of Howard’s favorite pieces.

Now that the mid-year show is wrapped up, the students are now focussing all of their attention on the spring art show and the Art Walk on Monday, April 15. This art show requires more effort from the Honors students, because they all will have a specific area on campus where they will create an installation of their works. Each exhibit will have a specific theme chosen by the student. In Howard’s case, she is thinking about making her theme be her “river house and or a series of [her] self-interests.” She has found that she incorporates those characteristics into every piece she makes, including her current piece involving mapping.

The promotional poster for Slice, which was designed by Howard.

Howard is now in the process of finishing up her mapping drawing and is already looking ahead to the next assignment, where she has to incorporate non-traditional material into her piece. Howard hopes to “take an art class in college” to continue her art career. Although she “has no idea what my career path is going to be after college”, she knows that “art will always be a part of my life.”