‘Visual History of Yuma’ on display
Locals can seize the opportunity to experience history in color tonight at 5:30 p.m. as the Yuma High School Art Gallery opens its doors for the first time this year. Show casing the talent of Art II students under the tutelage of YHS Art Teacher Peggy Andrews, “A Visual History of Yuma” is a visual narrative of the faces, places and events that have shaped local history.
“Artists find the most inspiration in what’s around them in their everyday lives,” Andrews said. “Individually and collectively, these pieces make a statement about the history here and our connection to it.”
Over a six-week timeline, Andrews’ students toured historical sites like the Yuma Territorial Prison and Colorado River State Historic Parks and heard from Yuma Heritage Center
and Parks and Recreation staff to create their mixed-media masterpieces.
Laying the foundation with National Geographic magazine clippings, the students used a combination of oil, pastel and acrylic paints to tell the story of Yuma through their fingerprints and brushstrokes.
“I was used to painting the basics, and this project pushed me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to try new things,” said Nadia Diaz, the artist behind “A Step for Yuman kind.”
The exhibit is a first-time experience for Diaz and many of her Art II classmates, and Andrews said she’s been impressed with their focus and dedication through all the stages of their project’s development.
“Students often have an expectation that their art has to be a certain way, and they set a high and critical bar for themselves,”
Andrews said. “It takes courage to experiment and learn the difference between what art is and what art is not.”
“A Visual History of Yuma” will be on display through Nov. 22 in the YHS Art Gallery, located inside the Snider building.