Going Back for More
Apr 14, 2022 12:00AM ● By Story and photos by Margaret Snider
Student Sophia Drawdy, left, from A.M. Winn Elementary School, plays the cello while her music teacher Danielle Yeti accompanies on the viola at the Student Art Show reception.
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Art from many area schools covers the walls at the third annual Student Art Show. The artists reception on April 8, at the Mills Station Art & Culture Center attracted visitors who mingled to view the work of students from kindergarten through 12th grade. A Sacramento Philharmonic ensemble added to the ambiance, preceded by Sophia Drawdy of A.M. Winn Elementary on the cello accompanied by music teacher Danielle Yeti on the viola.
Elora, a 3rd grade artist from Riverview STEM Academy in Mr. Martinez’s class said, “Our school’s symbol is a rocket, so I drew a rocket.” She included the favorite animals of her friends in her artwork. Jad, in the 4th grade at Sunrise Elementary, Mrs. Duffek’s class, painted a picture of the night sky titled “Light Years Away.”
Julyan Williams, a Kinney High School senior, Ms. Herring teacher, submitted two graphic design works. “I’ve been doing art for 5 years,” Williams said in an interview. “I took a break for 3 years and I just recently started again.” He’s considered following up on his art more seriously; his mom, he said, encourages him to go and accomplish his dreams. At that point, the interview was interrupted as Williams glanced at his phone and suddenly stood up. “Oh! I was just told somebody bought my art!” He excused himself to go talk to the buyer.
The show is an attraction for a wide spectrum of the community. Pat Overton, 82, and Jeannie Turner, 93, both residents of Rancho Cordova, came to see what the students had done. “It’s a great idea to have the Student Art Show,” Overton said, “so that children have their art appreciated.” Turner felt the art was very good. “You’ve got to go back for more,” Turner said. “It was more than I could handle in one walking. It’s a big bite.”
A couple of years ago Stephanie Bird, who teaches in the career technical education program at Mills Middle School, initiated Lego wall art for students in her classes who wanted to participate. “It was right around Martin Luther King’s birthday and so I thought, what if we did a mural?” Bird said. The result was a Lego portrait of King, displayed in the first student art show at the MACC. “At least 85 different students worked on it (at different times) . . . They think it’s cool that they’re part of something that was really unique and beautiful.” For this year’s Student Art Show Lego art, the students voted and chose Malala Yousafzai as the subject, a Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Artist Victoria Smith has a one-person show on the second-floor, titled A Brush With Victoriana And Chiaroscuro. “I have been working on paintings with very rich, deep color, and paintings with dramatic lighting, coming from one light source,” Smith said. She has a long affiliation with the MACC. “I was part of the original group that brainstormed its revitalization for its use as an art center.” She teaches at the MACC and in her home studio. She is an Artist Educator for both Golden Artist Colors and Silver Brush Limited. She did a mural at Mather Veterans Village, and a large painting for the lobby at the SPCA cat pavilion. Smith will give a Spotlight Artist talk on Thursday, April 21, at 6 p.m.
The Student Art Show is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April 7-April 23. Hours are 3-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. The MACC is located at 10191 Mills Station Rd., Rancho Cordova. For more information, call Cheryl Gleason, 916-273-5712, or e-mail [email protected].
