The AMHS art department has seen so many talented individuals over the years. Both Ms. Callicott and Mr. Grimshaw are constantly looking for opportunities to show off our students’ beautiful work. It is especially exciting when they find competitions for our students to participate in. This past month, students have had their art presented at two different events; The Coastal Carolina Fair and Kulture Klash.
The Coastal Carolina Fair was at the beginning of this month and is known throughout Charleston as being a good time. While most people just think of the fair, they think of the exciting rides and games, but it actually has an art competit
ion as well. This year we had two AMHS students competing. The extremely talented Xi Chen wo
n first place for their hyper realistic sketch of a statue head. The shadow effect implemented was exceptionally impressive and the monochromatic color scheme allows the viewer’s eye to focus on the subject. You can tell just by looking how many hours of work and how much effort went into the piece. The incredible attention to detail is to be appreciated by all – from the eyes to the hair to the full cheeks – the artistic ability that is clearly exemplified in this piece is truly amazing. 
Also featured at the Coastal
Carolina Fair was Susan Dong’s portrayal of a small alleyway with numerous shops. She won the judge’s award for this piece, and rightfully so – it is utterly beautiful. The colorful buildings and crowdedness of the street makes this piece immersive. The detail in this piece is incredible. The shadows and emptiness of the street makes for an intimate scene where viewers can form an understanding of the culture being showcased.
The talent shown by both of these students is one that evokes pride in our student body as we recognize their talents alongside the judges. We love seeing our school represented in such a big way! If you see these students around, be sure to congratulate them and show how proud we are of their recognition.
In more recent events, this past weekend was an art show called Kulture Klash! Hosted at the Navy Yard in North Charleston, multiple AMHS students’ work was featured! The poster for the event featured a UFO as the centerpiec
e, so it was only fitting that some UFOs were created and painted to be showcased. Mazie Jarrett and Susan Dong illustrated how they felt a cultural UFO should look. Capturing a huge part of modern culture – the appreciation that most of the population holds for the Star Wars saga – Susan used her talents and creativity to create not just an ordinary alien spacecraft, but a baby Yoda head! How unique!
Mazie Jarrett shares her creative process behind her pink and orange piece. She shares that her favorite color is pink so she knew she wanted to incorporate that somehow, but didn’t want it to be overpowering. When reflecting on which color would complement it best, she decided orange was the way to go! The result is a beautiful combination of the two.
Also featured at Kulture Klash 
by Victoria Haber
by Jordan Roberts
by Kenzie Jacobs
Of course, the recognition of these students is quite remarkable, but we must not forget the woman without which none of this would have been possible – Ms. Callicott. She shares that seeing students create in class inspires her and she selects certain pieces to be showcased. The works shown at the Coastal Carolina Fair were actually a part of those students’ AP Art portfolios which Ms. Callicott got to see throughout their creative process. As far as time spent on a project, she says sometimes pieces can be show-ready within just a few days, but other times it takes weeks for the work to be perfected. Regard
less of experience, talented students can be found at any level. In fact, Mazie Jarrett is in Ms. Callicott’s Art 1 class, but her work was still phenomenal and was showcased last Saturday. “The great thing about Art 1,” Ms. Callicott shares, “is that any one with any level of ability can take the class and benefit from it.” While AP Art certainly has students that are more advanced, they still grow in their abilities with each passing day. Ms. Callicott describes this as developing their “conceptual abilities,” meaning that the imagery they choose to use will be purposeful and have a more significant meaning to the artist. Whether experienced in art or not, students learn things every day about how to solve problems they might run into. Ms. Callicott even shares about her Photography class that it can be extremely difficult for students initially as they first learn how to use a film camera and manipulate the light to be just right for their solely black and white pictures. This class is a little bit different from traditional art because the line between right and wrong is much more strict. However, it is extremely rewarding because, according to Ms. Callicott, “Once you get the hang of it, it’s magic.”
Learning about the skills that are sharpened right within the walls of our own school should spark a sense of pride in every AMHS student. A huge shout out to the students that were featured in these shows; Jordan Roberts, Kenzie Jacobsen, Mazie Jarrett, Susan Dong, Xi Chen, and Victoria Haber (for both having art displayed and for visualizing the layout of how the art was hung). A huge congratulations to all of you!!!
If you believe you are a good artist and would be interested in an opportunity to participate in a similar event, do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Callicott. There is the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, with a deadline for submission on December 16th. If that’s too soon don’t be afraid to stop by the bulletin board outside of the art room periodically to seewhat’s posted! Don’t be shy about it either – if you believe you have talent then the rest of the world will too. In the wise words of Ms. Callicott, “Art is for everyone.”
