Gaherty worked hard to display her artwork at the gallery. photo by Aster Weifenbach
TJ students present their artwork to the public.
On September 6th, from 4-6 p.m. at Artworks @ Streets of Southglenn, artwork from two Thomas Jefferson High School students, Alaine Gaherty and Naweed Hakimi, was displayed. While at the gallery, the students spoke about themselves and the inspirations for their art. The majority of the event consisted of viewing the artwork and communicating with the artists one on one.
Gaherty got into the art show when art teacher Timi Biermann reached out to her saying she wanted Gaherty’s artwork to be presented in the competition. Gaherty picked out her favorites from her collection of art she’s created over the years and the staff running the gallery set it up for her. The artwork she selected included both glazed and acrylic painted pieces.
Gaherty said the event went well. “It was organized and well set up…they gave us a lot of space to display our art.” She went on to explain that it was fun talking to all the artists and seeing what fellow artist Hakimi made for the show. She stated the event was, “… totally worthwhile! It was super rewarding to see my artwork in a public space.” Gaherty would highly recommend the experience to other artists because of the opportunity to put oneself out there and make money as well.
While Gaherty liked the pieces she had in the art show, she did say she would have added the mouse and crocodile piece that she made this semester if given the chance. She explained that her favorite piece to craft was the vulture piece, due to the paper wings she made for it. While she loves the hyena piece, she admitted it was the most complicated and the hardest piece to make because of the time it took to glue the cotton pieces on. Gaherty’s art is inspired by the world around her, the diverse habitats within the planet and the animals that make up those environments. While she doesn’t derive any inspiration from any famous artists, she did credit ceramics teacher Lisa Freedberg and her peers with plenty of inspiration for her pieces.
Going to events like these are highly recommended. It can give everyone a greater understanding of the people around them. Students might even make a friend or two by going to these types of events. All TJ students are encouraged to stay involved.
