Four Arrowhead Students Featured in UW-Parkside Art Show

On Friday, December 21, 2021, there was an art show at UW-Parkside in Kenosha. This art show hosted 66 pieces of art from different high schools throughout Wisconsin. Art from both students and teachers was displayed, however there was an emphasis on student pieces as art faculty had the choice to submit their own piece as well as choose multiple student pieces to submit. 

Art pieces were displayed together in one hall for both presenters and visitors to view. There were activities at the art show for the participating students to engage in before an awards ceremony for the submitted pieces.

This year, 4 Arrowhead students were able to showcase their art in the exhibit. Shown below are each of their pieces as well as a paragraph detailing not only the pieces but the artist themselves. 

A junior at Arrowhead High School, Annie MacLean’s piece “The Hermit” won the award for the best 2D piece at the UW-Parkside Art Show on 12/3/21. MacLean is working on a series of art pieces that are “based off of tarot cards…and…what [they] mean to [her].” This specific piece, MacLean says, is “about who you are when you’re alone” as well as just “being alone and isolated.” Drawing inspiration from her real life experiences, MacLean tried to portray taking the time to reflect on oneself. As far as inspiration for her art in general, MacLean says her Nana was the one who first got her into art, but Modigliani is one of her favorite artists. MacLean plans to continue creating artwork in the future, and plans on going to school for animation.

Nora Perguini’s piece “Overflowing” was based on the idea of self hate. Perguini says she wanted her painting to represent a time in her life when she had the “feeling of having constant missing assignments, and lots of work to do and knowing that [she was] procrastinating” saying that she “felt so much that [she] had so much anxiety that [she would] get sick.” Using actual homework she has completed, as well as painting black ooze to represent the stress felt by this, Perugini was able to depict such a visceral image of stress and anxiety. Perguini says that one of her artistic influences is her fellow student—artist Annie MacLean. Perguini was inspired by MacLean’s incorporation of personal events into her artwork. Nearing time to decide one’s future plans, Perugini plans to continue to pursue art in her future. She plans to take AP art her senior year and continue to sell her artwork through her instagram shop.

For her senior year of high school, Molly McKay painted the piece “Praemeditari” to display human destruction. She says her goal when creating art is “that when someone sees it they feel something” along with wishing to “create something that is horrifyingly beautiful, as [her] style can be somewhat unsettling and yet aesthetically pleasing.” This specific piece uses representation through the “chicken/woman cooks her own egg” representing “the self destructive tendencies of human nature. Furthermore, this piece is also intended to show how some profit from the destruction of mankind—as the egg is being cooked into food which is something that man cannot live without (also displaying our codependency with the ruination of ourselves).” McKay says that her artistic influence is nature “as it is a constant source of inspiration and a motif throughout each of [her] pieces” along with animals as she finds “anthropomorphism [to be] an excellent way to address human problems through many different aspects of nature.” McKay is heavily considering the use of art in her future, “whether that be Illustrating stories, setting up an online shop, or even incorporating it into other fields—such as Art Therapy.”

JJ Emons, a senior at Arrowhead created the piece “Eyesore” to investigate her “guiding question: How can I illustrate underrepresented experiences to become widely relatable throughout audiences?” She hopes that by viewing her art “people can see themselves and their experiences within [the] art, or at least relate to it and understand the emotion and experience.” For this specific piece, Emons decided to depict “one of [her] biggest insecurities” which is how she “look[s] when [she] yawn[s].” Choosing to “use bold and flashy” colors, Emons was able to draw attention and create an “eyesore.” Emons finds inspiration all around her. Saying that “as an artist, [she] surround[s] [her] entire life with art and take[s] inspiration from just about anything.” Emons plans on continuing art in the future, with the plan of going to UW-Stout for Graphic design and a minor in Art History. Emons hopes that within her search for a future job art will always remain a hobby she can fully enjoy.