Avon Old Farms Hosts 7th Annual Regional Art Show
The seventh annual Avon Old Farms School regional art exhibition opened on Thursday, March 27, highlighting art from middle and high school students from around central Connecticut.
The exhibition this year is titled “Strength of Vision” and compiles multiple works from students at Avon Middle School, Avon High School, Bristow Middle School, Canton High School, Conard High School, Covenant Preparatory School, Farmington Middle School, Farmington High School, Hall High School, Kingswood Oxford School, Miss Porter’s School, Renbrook School, Simsbury High School, and Westminster School, as well as Avon Old Farms School.
Art Department Chair Cristina Pinton organizes the event each year. She says she wanted the theme this year to honor the creative, expressive, and universal power young artists possess. “Strength of Vision celebrates all of the incredibly talented artists participating in the show but also the commitment we as artists, educators, parents and friends need to support them whole-heartedly and all arts programs across the country,” Pinton says.
The exhibit opened with a reception on March 27, and will remain open for public viewing until Sunday, April 6. It is located in the Ordway Art Gallery in the Avon Old Farms Brown Student Center.
The opening night reception welcomed professors and administrators from the Hartford Art School and the UConn School of Fine Arts, local artists, and the featured students and their families. Refreshments and live music performed by Avon students were on offer as well.
For the local students featured in the exhibit, it was an opportunity to interact with other like-minded peers, and view inspirational works submitted from other schools. It was also a chance to receive praise for their work or tips for improvement.
John Granger, a junior from Simsbury, is featured in the regional art show for the first time. “I was confused at first when my teacher said my work would be on display because that had never happened. But then I saw it on display, and with others looking at it. I felt really proud. I always thought art was something I had talent in, but not to this extent.”
Granger’s piece is a colored pencil and charcoal self-portrait, surrounded by different illustrated elements that hold a significance for him personally. He says a lot of the inspiration for his artwork comes from the cartoons he watched growing up, as well as from his older sister, who was a standout artist herself during her time at Simsbury High.
Artistic mediums in the exhibit range from painting and drawing to photography and sculpture. “It’s so many different pieces from all different ages,” Granger explains. “It’s really amazing to see the amount of talent on display.”
For anyone interested in visiting the exhibit, it will be open from public viewing from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. every day until Sunday, when the exhibit will conclude at 4 p.m. The exhibit is free of charge.