Last Saturday was a big day for me. After months of preparation, I completed the final steps of my governor’s school application.
This process began in October, when my art teacher asked if I would be interested in applying for this month long summer program. I jumped at the opportunity but had to compete to even apply, since SSSAS can only send one visual arts applicant. After collecting my best artwork and presenting it to the teachers, they awarded me the slot.
Next came the preparation for the actual adjudication. In addition to paperwork, I had to bring in ten pieces of my best work to display and explain to the judges. This is how I have spent the majority of my free time between October and this past weekend; I needed to complete these pieces. In addition to this presentation, I had to go to a workshop with the other applicants to create something spontaneously. I had no idea what to expect.
Upon my arrival, I was handed a questionnaire, the instructions to observe and describe a piece on display, and wait until they called my group. I had hours to attempt to calm my nerves and fill out this survey, which contained the most random questions I had seen on such as official looking document (What is your birth sign? What is your favorite movie? What do you want to do for a living? Where do you want to travel?).
When they finally called my group, we seated ourselves at tables surrounding miscellaneous kids’ art supplies like stickers, colored paper, and crayons. They then instructed us that we had 15 minutes to make a design for a t-shirt that we would want to wear. The second assignment was to make something 3 dimensional out of a paper bag in 3 minutes. Though rushed and crazy, these were fun opportunities to let my creativity loose.
When it came time, I set up my art and waited for the judges. I expected them to look at versatility and technique in my art; however, they were interested in a broader picture-- who I am and how this shows through my artwork. They asked questions such as “which piece do you identify with the most?” as well as questions about my motivations for applying and my plans for college. After a short 10 minutes, my time was up, leaving me desperately wanting to explain my work more. As I packed up my art, I couldn’t help but think about everything I could have and should have said, but the reality is that there simply wasn’t enough time.
In this one day, I learned about how to make my art stand out creatively and how to express myself through my work. Hopefully, I’ll have the chance to continue this learning over the summer!
