Putting Kenwood’s Art Talent to Work on Local Displays

Art is often a way to express your emotions through vision. Art is also used to connect people and ideas and there are often stories to be told within the art.

Kenwood artists are often creating their art for more than a grade in their various art classes. Their art skills have been put to work and their talent often displayed not only on our own campus but in the Baltimore and BCPS community as well.

“Having my artwork displayed allows a beginning artist as myself to share stories through what I create. Whether the stories are mine or another artist’s we create emotion and feeling that can transition from our art to the viewer,” shares artist Kiersten Mills.

Back in October and November Cassidy Davis and Justin Obi had their artwork on display at the Superintendent’s Gallery in the Greenwood Building.

Mason Snow, Hailee Diehl, Aubrenesia Tomlinson, and Anna White currently have their artwork on display from now until May at Azrael, Franz, Schwab, Lipowitz, and Solter Law Offices in Towson.

Four Kenwood artists-Julissa Rodriguez, Kelly Bailey, Kiersten Mills, and Kersten Cochra- will have their artwork on display mid February- March at  The Young Artists Showcase at the Hereford Branch of the BCPL.

Kenwood’s Fine Arts Department Chair, Ms. Cain, adds, “The option to create art has always been a way to deal with difficult times. This is especially true during the pandemic. Creating art makes myself and students feel heard. I like sharing my thoughts and ideas about life through my art. While I love words too, I feel I can express myself best through art.”

Several students’ artwork is also currently be considered to be the artwork printed on Kenwood’s Positive Postcards that teachers send home monthly. It’s not sure yet whose artwork will be selected but it’s another way Kenwood artists put their talent to work right here at Kenwood. Prior to the pandemic art students were also the ones to paint the various murals that decorate the halls throughout Kenwood.

Most artists want their art to have some sort of value whether it is emotional, inspirational, or that it just tells a story within itself. People see art as an inspiration of creativity and the value in art is in the creativity and inspiration it could give others when viewing an artist’s work. To have one’s work on display for others to view or use as the image for things like postcards or other publications, validates for a student that there is much value in their talent and creativity as an artist.

Kenwood artist, Bree Tomlinson shares, “To be honest, I never really called myself an artist because I thought I lacked in the creative department and thought I couldn’t really do much. I always liked photography because I always liked being able to capture core moments, but having my work on display made me realize that I do have that creativity I thought I lacked, and that I just needed that push in the right direction to see myself as an artist, thanks to Ms. Cain.”