Art Center Ukiah April 2024 “Dreams of Peace, Hopes for Our Future” Ukiah High School Art Students

“Dreams of Peace; Hopes for Our Future” is the theme chosen by Ukiah Highs School art students for their Art Center Ukiah exhibit. Each class came up with their own unique response to this theme. Students in the MESA program (taught by Sezgin Ramirez), created an installation of origami doves. Doves to convey both the ideas of pain and peace.  Math skills are used to create origami.
Jay Montesonti’s metal shop students fashioned  a bouquet of roses out of welded metal.
Students in Lech Slocinski’s Art 140 class worked together for several months to create and audition photos that express their individual responses to the theme… to hang on the walls to complement the installations.

Three classes- advanced art (taught by Rose Easterbrook), advanced ceramics (taught by Jim Persky) and advanced fashion design (taught by Katryna Dorsteler) collaborated on an enormous dinner party installation inspired by the famous work of Judy Chicago.

The centerpiece of the “Dreams of Peace, Hopes for Our Future” is the installation on a large round table in the center of the room. Students self-selected into pairs, to create ten place settings reflecting their own personal perspective on the general theme. The display includes written statements to explain their thoughts on the topic they chose. Advanced ceramics created two bisque plates, advanced art students painted plates with ceramic glazes, advanced Fashion Design created placemats and napkins to go with specific plate settings.

This entire project originated in Lech Slocinski’s dual enrollment class for advanced high school art students the class on creating art students individual art portfolios as well as helping put on art shows.  This group could have come up with a simple concept that wouldn’t have required any serious thought or soul searching, but they overwhelmingly voted to take this deep dive into a seriously provocative topic.
“Dreams of Peace; Hopes for Our Future” is generously sponsored by Ukiah High School Retired Educators: Bob Bender & Beverly Spence, Jerry Garcia, Phil Gary, Glenn Gawel, Jim & Mary Hatfield, Holly Rodgers and Ron & Francine Selim.