Gabrielino High School hosted its 11th annual Visual and Performing Arts/Career Technical Education (VAPA/CTE) Open House Art Expo on Thursday, April 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Goodson Theatre. The Art Expo celebrates student creativity, showcasing how collaboration brings imagination to life.
The Art Expo included a visual art gallery, featuring original student work such as ceramic dishes and penny banks, mosaics from the Intro to Art course, and more, all displayed in the Goodson Theatre for onlookers to enjoy.
Senior Mackenzie McCarter, a member of advanced art, stated, “It was cool to make the art and know that other people would be able to look at it and enjoy it.”
The Art Expo also featured live performances by choir, concert band, dance, drama, jazz band, orchestra, speech and debate, and winter guard.
Senior Alexander Trinh, a member of the chamber choir, shared that “[they] performed ‘Zion’s Walls’ and ‘Walk in Jerusalem,’ both of which are songs about community and belonging.”
Students received an email containing information on the Art Expo, including a detailed performance schedule describing when and where different departments would be performing on a map.
It also included the Gabrielino VAPA and CTE newsletter, which contains updates on events within the art department.
One event featured in the newsletter was how Gabrielino’s ceramic course worked with second graders from McKinley Elementary School to design and create ceramic projects, which were also displayed at the Art Expo.
“Working with the ideas of second graders was both fun and challenging, but seeing the end result of our work was really amazing,” senior Michelle Cazares said.
Alumna Madeline Chan, who visited Gabrielino to view the Art Expo, said, “Walking around and seeing all of the students’ art was amazing. It’s crazy to me that these high school students are so creative and can create such beautiful works.”
Beyond being an occasion to admire the work of Gabrielino’s art department students, the Art Expo is a demonstration of how creativity thrives when a community comes together. “[Art Expo] brought me closer to other students as I got to appreciate their work and socialize with them,” Trinh said.
