The Fine Arts Festival/Spring Fling took place March 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. I arrived around 11 a.m. with my dad to experience all the art on display. We first went around the back of the Fine Arts Building, finding the attractions for the younger students. Next, we went to the Patriot Patio and found food being sold. Afterwards, we finally went inside the Fine Arts Building.
The first thing we saw were rows of drawings from lower school kids lining the halls. It was interesting to see all the works younger students had made, especially when it was juxtaposed with work from high school students.
Among the galleries was a collection of drawings from fourth grade students of sunflowers. However, one of them stood out to me–it was the only drawing to use black in its background and the only drawing lacking colored flowers. I think the contrast between this particular piece and those surrounding it signifies a stark difference in artistic intent between this piece’s creator and their peers. (Photo/Alex Ngo).
Next, we entered the Chorus room, which contained specifically upper school works. There, I found my two favorite pieces from the fest: pictures of birds from Photography 4.
This photograph is one of my favorite works firstly because it depicts a bird; I am a big fan of birds. I love the snapshot of the chicken’s shocked pose. The child photographed holding the chicken reminds me of a similar photo of me at my grandma’s place holding one of her chickens, though I held it much less awkwardly. (Photo/Alex Ngo).
During spring break of my freshman year, I went to a zoo called Nature Park next to the Shell Factory in Fort Myers. There, I got to feed birds, very similar to this picture. It was an experience I really enjoyed, and this photo was a wonderful reminder of that time. (Photo/Alex Ngo)
After visiting the chorus room, we went to the auditorium. There, we watched dance students perform to a number from the musical “The Wiz.” What stuck out to me most, though, was the next performance. Preschool kids sang nursery rhymes to a wide audience of parents. I felt out of place, but I realized the experience really demonstrated what the Fine Arts Festival is all about in the first place. It’s a celebration of artistic talent of any age; it gives people the opportunity to appreciate the hard work of all kinds of students in the fine arts.
The many pre-kindergarteners sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in front of a large audience. There was lots of applause for their performance, and I think they earned every clap. (Photo/Alex Ngo)
