2022 and 2023 were two years of great produce and creations. There has been a lot of work and projects made this school year, especially from art students here in this district. CI is a place full of creatives and dreamers that deserve to be acknowledged. And they very much were. 

On Wednesday, May 24 and Thursday, May 25, CI did its annual Art Show right in front of the High School’s entrance. While CI’s wonderful bands and chorus performed in the auditorium for their Spring Concert, right outside of those doors were an array of boards holding up student’s artwork throughout this school year.  Anyone who saw the work can agree it was just… wow. 

Some of the previous shown can be found in the previous CI Renaissance articles which I’ll link here (Part I: https://cihsrapier.com/1368/arts/the-ci-renaissance/ and Part II: https://cihsrapier.com/1463/uncategorized/the-ci-renaissance-part-2/ ). Check those articles out when you have a chance because as I said, these works of art and projects deserve recognition.  

Now I could sit here and try to describe all the projects, but I’ll rather let you guys examine the artwork yourself.

Gallery • 14 Photos

Right now I want to talk about what this year’s art show means. I think this year’s art show was magical in a lot of ways. COVID struck the world hard; we all know this, we all experienced this. It took us a while to recover from this pandemic. Even last year, we had to wear masks and still be somewhat… apart. This year though, it felt like we were fully back. We were back in full swing and we did so much in the span of a year. And this art show is a prime example of this, because we see that the artists of CI flourished and created beautiful works. It was like we were honing our skills and talents back for too long that eventually, we burst and showed the world everything we had. It was really like… a rebirth. A renaissance. 

“If you take the time to look at the arts being made, one can realize that students have talent and potential in these fields.” To be an artist is hard. I am not just talking about painters and drawers, but actors, musicians, writers, etc. Not everyone gets the recognition they deserve for their craft and creativity. Manufacturing a masterpiece that hits is not the easiest. It takes time and dedication. It takes the right mindset. And a lot of these creative and artistic engineers are put down and lose their motivation to create because they feel as if their passion can’t bring them anywhere. It’s a shame really, because I feel like these creators only need one thing to thrive on for them to excel in these fields: Acknowledgement.

Artists need acknowledgement. They need to know that their work is bringing an audience. Because knowing that their work can bring a group of people together can push them so far in life and boost their morale so much further. It can be the difference between someone giving up on a dream and someone holding on to it. And honestly, I don’t think anyone should give up on their dreams to pursue an artistic and imaginative field. That’s why it is our job to be the audience for these creators. That’s why this series was made, to recognize these artists and push them forward. Artists need a society just as much as society needs art. There will be art next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, and so long so forth. So please, if you are ever walking down the halls and see a display case full of art, stop by and really admire the work. Even think about taking an art class or two, and let yourself immerse into the work. Be creative and be a thinker. Tomorrow’s artwork is the product of today’s reaction. I think I can now officially say though, this year really was the start of the CI Renaissance.