30 Day Art Challenge

Holland Primm, Editor

Senior Kale Smith sits himself down, a blank page before him. Ideas race through his head as he attempts to decide what is inspiring him that day. All at once, his pencil hits the paper and he begins to transfer his thoughts into something tangible: art.

The 30 Day Art Challenge is making its debut, an intensive task in which students who choose to participate must produce one work of art each day for thirty days. Each day, their masterpieces are displayed in the heart of the school so that students and teachers alike may marvel at the gifted artists.

“They [participants] can do any form of art they choose,” said art teacher Dawn Graham. “Right now it’s mostly drawing and some collage, but anything is acceptable. You will be really surprised at the diversity. There’s someone doing word art, conceptual art where you have a feeling or a thought behind a work of art instead of actually creating something representing something.”

Participation is not just limited to students. Other students from different schools have been submitting art, as well as many teachers and staff.

“Almost half of the participants are actually teachers,” said Graham.

The uniqueness of the challenge has drawn many students to sign up; friends tell friends and the numbers continue to rise.

“I think it’s something cool,” said Smith. “Most of my friends are doing it, so I thought I’d join in. I am excited to see everyone’s art.”

As the days go by, the artists’ tasks get more and more difficult. Spanning from September 1 to September 30, participants face the growing wall of “artist block,” keeping them from being able to produce new work each day.

“I think it’ll start getting tough near the end, but as of now I have a few more ideas. I won’t know what to draw at some point, though,” said Smith. “That’ll probably be tonight.”

It is difficult to foresee the outcome of the challenge, especially with this year being the first, so expectations are to be determined. Graham, however, has one expectation that she hopes participants will uphold.

“My expectation is that people finish it, that they come to the thirtieth. They try every day to make something,” said Graham.