City Hall showcases student artwork

Pieces from Brookwood High represent range of skill levels.

Art students at Snellville’s Brookwood High School are learning a lesson about connecting their work to the outside world – something not always easily done when that work is a sculpture or a watercolor. But an initiative to adorn the city hall with artistic works has given 44 budding artists the chance to have a public showing of their creations.

“This was an awesome opportunity for our kids to show outside the four walls of this school building,” said Deb Sumpter, who heads the art department at Brookwood. “It’s a great way for us to take some of what they’re doing into the community.”

Sumpter said the school was contacted last spring by Mayor Kelly Kautz about participating in the ongoing “Art on the Wall” project that features a different local artist every month. The goal is to promote local talent while building Snellville’s reputation as an art destination. When the Brookwood artists opened their show Dec. 4, they became the first students to stage a City Hall exhibit.

“We were really tickled to be the first school to show there,” said Sumpter. “And it was also the city’s first time having multiple artists in the room.”

Earlier this fall, Sumpter and Brookwood’s three other art teachers began culling through possible display pieces to come up with the array that filled up the bare walls of the community room in the city hall.

“We made the decision not to just show work from advanced classes,” said Sumpter. “We’re a big art department and have a range of classes and skill levels, so we set out to get a good mix.”

Sculpture teacher Chris Vigardt said it was also important to show a variety of pieces.

“We tried to include a breadth of work,” he said. “We took what we had on hand and pulled out what we thought was representative of the materials and technical skills. In the end, we came up with some photography, digital designs, computergenerated art, mixed media, watercolors, charcoals and even some jewelry.”

Deborah Kepes, who chairs the year-old Snellville Arts Commission, said the goal is to have more student showings in the future.

“We’d really like to have all the high schools in the area do a show,” she said. “We know the teachers are teaching, but sometimes parents have no idea of the students’ abilities. And we do have an amazing group of student artists around here.”

The Brookwood show opened with a reception Dec. 4 that drew parents, students and teachers, as well as city council representatives and the mayor.

“We had such a strong showing from the community,” said Vigardt. “And the kids loved it. They really appreciate the opportunity to show off their work.”

The exhibit at Snellville’s City Hall, 2342 Oak Road, will remain on display through the end of the month. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: 770-985-3500; snellville.org. Each Saturday, we shine a spotlight on a local neighborhood, city or community. To suggest a place for us to visit, email H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or call 404-514-6162.