Countless students enjoy the chance to find people with similar likes and hobbies. Many schools allow students to use their voice, show off their creativity, and even offer the opportunity to be a part of a team or club. Being able to make friends and create life-long memories while also having a fun time after school is one of the many pros to being in any sort of club.
At Amherst High School, the Art Club is a great representation of how the students are able to create something for the community, as well as use each person’s individual skills to make it unique.
Ms. Kaycie, the middle school and high school art teacher at Amherst, has been the Art Club advisor for twelve years and she enjoys it as much today as when she started.
“I’m very excited [for this year],” Ms. Kaycie said. “There’s a lot of returning students as well as some new ones, too.”
A typical day of Art Club includes two different parts. On one hand, there’s the Visual Arts Classic, or VAC, which is where students compete in different art categories, Quizbol, and a team project in order to try and make it to nationals. The other part includes making individual projects by using the pottery wheel or printmaking after school as a way for students to continue creating art.
Since art supplies aren’t cheap, the Art Club is looking to raise money with a new fundraiser.
“We’re currently creating prints that we will sell at the Landmark,” Ms. Kaycie said.
Allowing students the ability to create art for their own community can serve as a place for other people with similar likes to connect and engage. Ms. Kaycie is adored by numerous students because she creates a safe space where student can let their imaginations run wild, and she always finds a way to make any idea possible.
Julez Peterson is a senior at Amherst High School, fellow Art Club member, and a manager for VAC. You can often find her in the new Art room on the second floor of the new STEAM addition creating an art collage, or you can find her pieces decorating the school hallways year round.
“I’m looking forward to making prints for people to buy,” Julez said when asked about what she was looking forward to this year. “I get to put my art out in the community.” This shows how much Julez loves the opportunity to produce something that can be seen by someone who needs it. Being able to help the community connect and grow with one another allows her to make more friends while forming life-long memories for her to remember. “My favorite part of Art Club is the fact we get to just chill and do art. It’s honestly the best thing ever.”
Sitting down to build something with a larger meaning than just what can be seen by the eye is calming and relaxing for many students, but especially for Julez. She’s able to put a lot of effort into something she loves doing every day, showing others it’s alright to follow your dreams.
Violet Linder is a current sophomore at Amherst High School, as well as Art Club member and VAC manager. She’s typically found hanging with friends in the Art room, or walking around with her tasteful fashion sense. Although this is her first year joining both VAC and art club, she is very excited for the coming year.
“My favorite part of Art Club is being able to hang out with friends while making art,” Violet said, explaining that she finds printmaking “fun and relaxing.” Although she hasn’t had many art classes in the past, she feels this is a great way to express her feelings. “I joined the Art Club this year because I wasn’t able to take any art classes [but] I still wanted to enjoy making something and thought I’d be able to do it this way.”
Many students struggle to take both classes that are required and classes they genuinely enjoy. Knowing that clubs like this exist allows multiple students the opportunity to continue exercising their hobbies even outside of school hours the same way Violet did. This shows how passionate she is when it comes to what she likes doing, setting a great example of continuing hobbies.
The Art Club is one of the many clubs Amherst High School holds for students to choose from. Ms. Kaycie’s wonderful classroom skills, the opportunity to create, learn, and grow, and the ability to make friends show multiple examples of why one should join. Being able to express your feelings by creating your own masterpiece — whether it’s with paint, pencil, or clay — is something anyone willing should get the chance to do.
