Piper Rogers loves art.
“Art is a safe space for me,” she said. “It gets my brain working.”
The Kellam High School senior is one of several hundred students who submitted artwork for the Hampton Roads Student Gallery at the Tidewater Community College Joint-Use Library (TCC-JUL).
The gallery, established more than 35 years ago, provides a platform for 11th and 12th grade students to exhibit their art in a variety of media, including three-dimensional and sculpture. Work will remain on display at the library through Feb. 21.
Library services specialist Donna Simpkins said the gallery fosters community engagement.
Students benefit from the experience and “patrons get to see what’s happening with art in Hampton Roads,” she said.
Art students from public and private schools in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, including homeschoolers, were invited to submit one entry.
At the gallery’s awards reception Feb. 21, 20 honorees and six finalists will be announced at the event. Honorees’ artwork will be displayed in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center Gallery at Virginia Wesleyan University and finalists’ submissions will be exhibited at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.
Selections are based on composition, craftsmanship, creativity and conceptual content.
Students who delivered their art to the library Jan. 30 had the opportunity to talk with representatives from local museums, colleges and universities. They received feedback on their portfolios from experts in the field and learned about available art programs.
Many lined up to speak with Emily Cayton, experiential learning manager at the Chrysler Museum of Art.
She talked about the importance of artists visually communicating their messages.
“You’re doing great!” she told Kyleigh Story of Manor High School in Portsmouth.
Cayton reviewed several of Kyleigh’s sketches and applauded her attention to detail, with minor suggestions for enhancing some shadows and lines. “Draw from observation,” she advised.
She also suggested students organize their own galleries with peers to showcase their work.
TCC offers studio art and graphic design courses and has a pre-art therapy program. James Williams, visual arts program chair, and Leslie Mounaime, curator with the school’s Visual Arts & Design Center, answered lots of questions.
“TCC is a great way to save money and gives students more time to decide what they want to study and also develop skills,” Mounaime said.
Dr. John Roth said he was impressed with students’ works of art. Roth, associate professor and art department chair at Old Dominion University, said it’s important for them to “take their time crafting their skills.”
VBCPS Visual Fine Arts Instructional Specialist Rebecca Davidson said participation in the gallery provides valuable insight for students.
“They have the opportunity to learn how to prepare their artwork for shows,” she said.
Meeting local art professionals will help students prepare for the future and learn about “multiple avenues for a career in the arts,” she noted.
Kellam High School teacher Laura Peters, who has taught art for 29 years, said the gallery allows students to showcase their unique talents.
“You have to go see it,” she said. The gallery displays “the best of the best.”
Exhibit dates:
- Hampton Roads Student Art Gallery, through Feb. 21, TCC-JUL,1700 College Crescent, Virginia Beach
- Honorees on display Feb. 25-April 26, the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Gallery, Virginia Wesleyan University, 5817 Wesleyan Dr., Virginia Beach
- Finalists exhibit March 3-31, Chrysler Museum of Art, 1 Memorial Pl., Norfolk
