AHS welcomes a new club to campus: Art Club. They are a club that shows students how to improve their art skills and respectfully critique their peers. The students and staff involved in the club are looking forward to sharing their plans and goals for the year.

This year’s art club will provide students with the chance to enhance their artistic abilities and talents. Junior Ezra Steward, for example, is excited to be given this opportunity.

“I think that it’s cool that I get to improve my skills outside of school,” Steward said. “It gives me time to sit down and actually work on my art. The skills from getting and giving constructive criticism are really nice, that’s one of the first things we’ve gone over in Art Club.”

Along with giving students an opportunity to improve their skills, the club explores a wide variety of art styles. Junior Amethyst Thompson said that they have enjoyed the styles that they’ve seen.

“This year’s art club, I’ve enjoyed the different types of art styles that I’ve seen,” Thompson said. “We’ve critiqued each other, we gave each other very helpful hints and helpful things that can give you a better example of how to put out your art.”

When asked about how art club was created, senior and Co-President Sabine Wicker said that they came up with the idea alongside Co-President Barak Geary. This idea came to them when they realized that art needed more support and recognition.

“Me and my other Co-President, Barak, were driving home from a theater rehearsal and our director had told us that we needed to go support the other fine arts.” Wicker said. “Not being available to see many [band or choir] concerts, we thought ‘hey, there should be another way, why isn’t there an art club? We can make an art club.’”

Wicker later shared the art club’s plan to create a way for students to support fine arts, as well as create more galleries to display the work and progress of members. Being able to display the work of members would allow for students and staff to develop a greater appreciation for art.

“Our plans mostly with art club were to be able to create a way for the school to interact and support the fine arts outside of performing arts, and also help our members become fully realized artists.” Wicker said. “One of our goals is we want to be able to create more galleries going forward.”

Art teacher Baryn Shepherd said that she is proud that Wicker and Geary have gone above and beyond to create this club. If you are interested in practicing art alongside other students, the art club which meets every other Friday, would be the perfect organization for you.

“I actually get to participate in what they come up with in class. They are spearheading everything,” Shepherd said. “They’re creating a culture of art within the school that hasn’t been here in as long as I’ve been working here, and that’s almost 10 years.”