As the month of October comes to a close, The Announcer Club wanted to look back over the past two months and acknowledge three student artists who were named Artists of the Month by the Fine Arts Department in September and October.
Department Chair Kelly Pack implemented the new designation this year and said that recognizing an artist of the month would give the department a chance to really highlight students who embody the spirit of the art department. “It’s another chance for us to showcase talent that comes from curiosity and determination,” said Pack.
The first student artist chosen as October’s Artist of the Month was Senior Abigail Amaya. “We picked Abby for September because she’s such a diverse and deeply talented artist. As a senior, she’s shown much care and dedication to our art program and her art speaks for itself,” said Pack.
When Amaya was considering transferring to Nazareth, she spent a day as a shadow and with her host, attended an Intro Art class taught by former Naz art teacher Hannah Salsman. “She was so nice to me. And the student sitting in front of me made such a masterpiece [that student was current Senior Alexa De La Cerda]. Because of seeing her artwork, I knew I needed to take this class,” said Amaya.
Amaya’s involvement in the After School Matters (ASM) program her freshman year introduced her to a world of art she’d previously not known. She visited a downtown gallery that exposed her to a variety of work and she secured an internship at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Currently, Amaya is a member of the Art Institute’s Teen Council. According to the institution’s website, “The Art Institute of Chicago Teen Council is a group of 15 creative and passionate youth artists, leaders, and organizers who collaborate with museum staff to design programs and resources that reimagine the future of cultural institutions and make the museum a more welcoming, accessible, and relevant space for Chicagoland youth.”
On her role in the council, Amaya said, “We advocate for Chicago teens to have a place to be teens in the city. Since they are so often stereotyped and not taken seriously – we work against that. We showcase their art in the Art Institute and provide them opportunities to shine.”
Amaya was excited when she heard about the honor. “It felt pretty amazing, I’m not gonna lie!” said Amaya. “I was so happy, because not only was I the first one to be showcased, but also because it was for the month of September – Part of National Hispanic Heritage Month!”
(Parker Pena)
For October, Pack said she and fellow art teacher Stephanie Kuecker wanted to highlight students who were newer to the art department. Pack said that she and Kuecker honed in on two students who were taking their projects in Intro to Art to new and unexpected heights: Freshmen Grace Mogensen and Lali Vargis.
Mogensen and Vargis didn’t see this honor coming. “I was excited and surprised,” said Vargis. “I didn’t know freshmen could be Artist of the Month.” Mogensen agreed, and added that it was fun to be recognized.
(Parker Pena)
While they might just be starting off in the Nazareth art department, their interest and love of art is not new. Vargis said, “I’ve always liked art. I feel like when I was young, it was always something that was part of my childhood and that I’ve always enjoyed. Mogensen likes painting and finds the process calming. She looks forward to continuing to work on more art projects here at Naz
