IB Arts Students Share Their Work

George School students introduced their International Baccalaureate (IB) Arts Exhibit on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The art show is a student-curated exhibit of each student’s work over their two-year IB Visual arts program during which students study multiple media while choosing one as their primary focus. Each exhibit was accompanied by an artist statement and a talk given by the student.

Jess Sturgis ’22 curated her exhibition to explore identity. “Through formal qualities like texture, color, and form I communicate the complexities of identities. The intertwined aspects speak to both relationships intra- and inter-selves and the rough texture of some of the work is a physical reminder of their creation—my fingerprints show my part in their creation. This exhibition is familiar and unfamiliar, as near out-of-body experience warps the idea of what it means to be in one’s body.”

Erick Tiburcio ’22 investigated the effects of loneliness on the human psyche. He was inspired by Antony Gormly and chose to experiment with sculpture and installation. “The graphic nature of the black and white exhibition of sculpture and photography showcases loneliness in the individual artwork. It is designed to challenge my audience to contemplate their existence.”

“Our IB students work diligently over this two-year period preparing for this exhibition,” said Director of Visual Arts and Design Danielle Picard-Sheehan. “During this time, students are challenged to explore different cultural contexts, develop their analytical skills, and critically interpret and write about how art impacts the world. Students are exposed to a variety of contemporary media as they work to become technically proficient.”

Along with creating their exhibitions, each student wrote a twenty-page paper focusing on artists from a variety of cultures and another twenty-page paper on the array of processes they have experimented with over the last two years.

Within the overarching theme of race in her exhibition, Berenice Benitez-Carlos ’22 wanted to expose deep social injustices rooted in the American cultures and systems. “My vision was not to depict graphic snapshots of racism, but rather address racial injustices through the means of mundane objects and symbols…. We see humanity in an art piece, and our expressions of art make us human.”

“Our goal is to teach students to think critically, to consider their message, meaning, and audience, and to analyze artwork so that when they head to college, and beyond, they understand how to interpret art in a dynamic and ever-changing world,” Danielle explained. “One of the most focused and rewarding aspects of teaching is helping those students who choose to pursue a career in the visual arts find their voice, as well as what moves them.”

The IB student work is on display in the Class of 1956 Gallery in Mollie Dodd Anderson Library and in the Walton Gallery. Community members are invited to join the artists at a reception planned for the closing day, Tuesday, April 26.