Sisters arts program set to celebrate

Sisters School District is noted for its arts program. From elementary school through high school, students have exceptional opportunities to learn a variety of media and to express themselves through painting, sculpture, and more.

That means that, by the time they reach Bethany Gunnarson’s art classes at Sisters High School (SHS), many students are ready to blossom as truly accomplished artists. Students were honored with 2022 Scholastic Art Awards last January. The event was held virtually, as it has for the past two years, which made the accomplishment of the artists a little hard to celebrate.

That’s being remedied next week. Scholastic Art Awardees’ work will be featured in the return of SHS’s ARTifacts art celebration.

“We will have them up on display at our ARTifacts art night on April 27, and will also put them up from May 6-June 3 at Campbell Gallery at Sisters Art Works, along with our AP Art & Design Showcase,” Gunnarson said.

The return of ARTifacts after a two-year hiatus imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic is cause for celebration in and of itself.

“We’re excited to be able… to come back together as an arts community,” Gunnarson said. “This is a great way for students to get honored for all their hard work going into honing their craft.”

ARTifacts will showcase student art from across the year, in ceramics, sculpture, painting, and possibly some print-making and graphic design work as well.

“We’ll have seniors display their Advanced Placement work,” Gunnarson said.

There will be participatory elements too — a hands-on art station, face painting, and henna “tattoos.” Participants can give a spin to a potter’s wheel, and try their hand at accessory-making, sculpture, and painting.

There will be a musical interlude featuring students from the Americana Project.

The honoring of the Scholastic Art awardees will be a featured moment.

“We’ll take a moment to pause and honor the students who won Scholastic Art Awards,” Gunnarson said.

Gunnarson approaches the Scholastic Art Awards not as a competition, but more along the lines of a recital, where students can showcase what they’ve learned and the skills they have developed. The event also requires applying some “real world” skills: Students must make their submissions on a deadline, photograph their work, and write about it.

“I think that’s also good practice for them,” Gunnarson said.

A silent auction will help raise funds for arts programming.

The evening will also feature the announcement of the winner of the Hayden Homes Art Scholarship.

ARTifacts will be held Wednesday, April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sisters High School Commons.