The Importance of McMahon Art Shows

Kristina Casubolo

PrideTime Editor

​Everybody knows about football games, FCIACs and States competitions that McMahon athletes train and practice for, but what many don’t realize is that the very talented artists of our school have competitions of their own that are just as important.

          (Raisha Abubo’s Piece)

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Raisha Abubo (‘21) submitted a photograph she took in California during the golden hour.  Titled Dusk in California (2019), Abubo said of her piece, “I thought it’d be very calming for my audience to look at because of the fog in the background and the golden sun that makes it all yellow.  It took like 15 or 20 minutes to edit the photo until it looked the way I wanted it to. California is one of my favorite places, so it [the piece] just shows the beauty of it [California] and why I want to live there.”

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It wasn’t Abubo’s first time being in the art show, but it was her first time going to one.   She says of the experience, “I hadn’t gone during other times because I thought it would be too much work, so I was just like, you know what?  Let me not. But, I’m glad I went. It was nice being involved in the art show because I’d never actually won anything before. I was actually able to get a gift card for my piece.  It was nice to be recognized and to get something.”
   

 Impressed by Abubo’s piece and curious as to how she had been one chosen from many suitable artists with profound works that I have seen propped up in art classrooms, I asked the Department Chair for Visual Arts, Mrs. Ritz Swain, what the selection process for art shows entail.

​Swain told me that the students are selected for the district-wide art show for their work ethic, grade and how deserving they are for being recognized. 
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However, “the Brien McMahon High School art show, because we have more slots available, is really more about showing off the different levels of our students and really showing off creativity and talent.  Like, work can be really creative, but not that skillful, and then some work is really skilled, but not that creative. So this show sort of shows you all of the aspects of art,” Swain explained.

On May 30th, from 5-7pm, the Brien McMahon High School art show will be taking place.  Mrs. Ritz Swain says of the upcoming show, “I think it’s a good place to go to be inspired and a really great way to just be a part of the community.”  

​Not only that, students who wish to take an art class but are unsure of which class is right for them can see the work from photography, drawing, and more and choose accordingly.
In agreement with Swain, Abubo says, “When I went to this last art show, I saw a lot of really good art and I’m sure the next art show will have a lot more, too.”

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