The hallway near the library and the blue house stairs is one of the busiest areas of Whitney Young, full of students chatting and walking to class. But in the middle of this bustling environment, the art gallery is often quiet and empty. What is this art gallery, and why do students rarely frequent it?

The art gallery is a small room located next to Blue House that has several spaces to showcase the 2D and 3D works of students and faculty through several showcases in the year.

Ms. Wax, head of Whitney Young’s art department, shared that “It’s fun to see creativity from those they might not know are creative in the arts, whether that be students, teachers, custodians, counselors, or engineers.”

So, is the lack of activity because people in the school dislike the art gallery? When asked about her opinion regarding the gallery, Ms. Gallardo enthusiastically said, “I love that we show off the faculty and student’s art.” 

But, others are less enthusiastic about it. Kaylen Ng, a senior, stated that although they like the gallery, “there’s no motivation to look at it, so [they] haven’t been there for a year.” This seems to be the root cause of the problem—although people may appreciate it, there are no incentives to visit the gallery, so why would already busy students and teachers, who may only be casual enjoyers of art, visit the gallery?

Kaylen provides a potential solution: by holding activities during enrichment or after school in the room, more students may choose to interact with the art gallery. The art department has already tried to increase the engagement of the student body by having snacks at the opening of each showcase. More frequent events can potentially be held in the space throughout the year, even by student groups such as the Art and School Beautification Club.

The gallery is currently showcasing a collection titled, “Who Am I?” It explores the concept of identity, featuring works from Mr. Nowlin and Ms. Beech’s sculpture classes. Mr. Nowlin’s class created zines where they expressed their identity in unique ways, ranging from long, multiple page drawings to scrapbook art, and Ms. Beech’s class used polymer clay to create sculptures that expressed their self image. Visit the art gallery to see these pieces and maybe even learn more about your own identity!