Writer: Jocelyn Vare
Artwork Submitted by Daniel Moosbrugger
It is my favorite art exhibit of the year. Every spring, the senior art students from Hamilton Southeastern High School and Fishers High School display their artwork in Fishers City Hall for the public to enjoy. This exhibit gives me a peek inside our high schools’ art departments and the work that is created in these marvelous classrooms. As I wander through the students’ Art in City Hall exhibit and regard the dozens of pieces of vibrant art, I must remind myself that these artists are only 18 years old. Their artwork rocks.
The high school students are just a few of the many artists that have displayed their work on the walls of the City Hall two-story atrium. Rotating art exhibits have been featured here for the past six years. Artists have included renowned professional artists from Fishers, Central Indiana and the Midwest. Photographers, painters, sculptors and illustrators who have been practicing their craft for decades bring their work here to display. But to me, the most eclectic and surprising exhibit at Art in City Hall is always the “Senior Showcase.”
The “Senior Showcase” celebrates local high school art students who are developing into amazing artists. They experiment, discover and push creative boundaries. It is fascinating to observe and wonder where their talent will take them years from now, as they refine their artist-voice. Actually, I have seen these artists find their voice during the course of an evening.
Every year, there is a reception at City Hall to honor the students and welcome the public to view the exhibit. As the reception begins and guests start to arrive, students may stand together in a silent clump, as high school students often do in awkward situations. Then, the visitors arrive and begin to fill the exhibit space. They approach the students and ask them questions about the artwork on the walls. The teenagers disperse as each one is compelled to stand next to their own artwork. There, they interact with the visitors. The artists communicate with people they’ve never met before and share what is personal and important to them — their creative process, inspiration and artistic vision. A group of teenagers become confident artists, proudly sharing their work with others during this evening reception.
The students’ artwork is vibrant and innovative. As you tour the exhibit, you can detect a class assignment but since each artist interprets the assignment so differently, the collection is exhilarating. You can’t help but feel that these young artists create with an intense individuality that, ironically, is the most apparent when their work is displayed all together.
“The students are always excited to participate in the annual Senior Showcase at Art in City Hall,” says Daniel Moosbrugger, Hamilton Southeastern High School Art Educator and Fishers Arts Council board member. “Although they have the opportunity to showcase their work in the common spaces in the school building and in the district art show, Art in City Hall is different. This is a special exhibit for the community, in a community space, that welcomes students to talk about their artwork and share their talent.”
Mr. Moosbrugger develops the exhibit with Fishers High School Visual Arts Department Chair, Jasmine Osborne. They each evaluate and select which graduating seniors’ artwork to feature in the exhibit. Approximately 15 students from Hamilton Southeastern High School and 15 students from Fishers High School are participating in this year’s Senior Showcase. The art classes that students take reflect the advanced technique and variety of media that are included in the exhibit. Senior art courses are college-level Advanced Placement (AP) Drawing and Painting, AP 3-D Art, and Sculpture.
The Art in City Hall reception will be held on Friday, May 4, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments, browse the exhibit’s artwork and meet the artists and art educators. Entertainment will be provided by student groups as well.
The participating artists and art teachers especially encourage younger students to attend the May 4 Art in City Hall reception. For younger students who are interested in art, the Senior Showcase offers a glance into what studying visual arts in high school is like. They will be inspired by these creative and talented graduating seniors who prove that art really rocks.
Art in City Hall Upcoming Events
Senior Showcase Reception
Friday, May 4
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Fishers City Hall, One Municipal Drive
Free public event with refreshments and entertainment. View exhibit and meet the artists, HSEHS and FHS graduating seniors.
www.fishersartscouncil.com, 317-595-3111
Indiana Artists Exhibition Reception
Saturday, June 2
2 p.m.-4 p.m.
An exhibit of artwork from 60-80 artists from Indiana Artists (IN/A), a statewide organization of professional artists. Free public event with refreshments and opportunity to view exhibit and meet the artists.
Indiana Artists Exhibition
June 2-30
Fishers City Hall, One Municipal Drive
Free. Open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
www.fishersartscouncil.com, 317-595-3111
Artists that would like to be considered for an upcoming Art in City Hall exhibit can email tomrich1952@yahoo.com or direct message the Fishers Arts Council on Facebook.
