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Haneen Abdelmajid’s passion for the arts began at a young age. She finds inspiration in fashion and self-expression and lets it unfold onto paper. Now, a senior at Sandburg High School, she can see her ambitions come to fruition as her pieces are proudly displayed at McCord Art Gallery & Cultural Center.
“Having my pieces displayed at McCord is a very fulfilling opportunity, as I get to see my work among that of so many talented people, as well as have my hard work recognized,” Abdelmajid, 17, of Bridgeview, said.
Abdelmajid joined 13 of her fellow students at a reception held at McCord Art Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W Creek Rd., Palos Park, on Friday, Feb. 7.
“These projects are among my favorites I have completed this year, both because of how large they are in scale and because of the processes I used to create them. I especially had a lot of fun working with objects, liked using a paintbrush for the charcoal and real yarn that I threaded through paper, to make my pieces complete,” Sandburg senior, Sofia Szaflarski, 18, of Orland Park, said.
McCord Art Gallery & Cultural Center is a not-for-profit art gallery and learning center located in the McCord House, a well-preserved farmhouse built in 1834. The center offers art classes, music lessons, and cultural events.
Friday’s reception featured not only handcrafted art pieces but also family, friends and refreshments courtesy of staff at the gallery and showcased the work of Sandburg seniors and included paintings, jewelry, digital art, photography and drawings.
The students began their work in August as part of their Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art portfolios, which will be submitted to the Advanced Placement (AP) Board for scoring. A strong score can earn them college credit at the schools of their choice.
“I’ve always liked drawing and have been doing it for a long time,” Sandburg senior, Marcus Hunger, 17, of Orland Park, said. “Going into AP was a very different experience for me, but it’s a really fun and unique experience that has challenged me a bit with thinking more about why I draw rather than just drawing.”
The AP course is taught by Wes Gonzalez.
“This is my first year teaching AP Studio Art, and the challenge with this class compared to others is that the work is driven by what is called a ‘sustained investigation,’” Gonzalez said. “This is a question the student comes up with that their artwork is looking to solve. Unlike other art classes, this one doesn’t focus on developing traditional art skills but rather on developing ideas.”
Students have responded positively to Gonzales’s teaching methods, including Sandburg senior, Samantha Rose.
“This is my second year in AP Studio and the class really gives you the freedom to create anything with any resources you can think of and it’s a very therapeutic class for me being able to create art on my own accord,” Rose, 18, of Orland Park, said.
Sandburg senior, E. Akpan, who had lost loved ones through suicide, used the project for self-expression and reflection.
“This project helped me deal with my past and particularly how people’s deaths have affected me,” Akpan, 17, of Orland Park, said. “I was able to show my emotions through my art.”
Gonzales hopes that through the McCord Art Gallery & Cultural Center exhibit, his students’ work will inspire others.
“This experience has been a great way to celebrate what students have created and share it with the community,” Gonzales said.
McCord Gallery & Cultural Center’s Executive Director, Carol Trzcinski, agreed with Gonzales.
“We were honored to exhibit the works of students from the Advanced Placement Art program at Carl Sandburg High School,” Trzcinski said. “We enjoyed giving these students an opportunity to display artworks from their portfolios in a gallery setting and to inspire them to continue to develop their artistic skills. The exhibit showcased the students but also gave the public a chance to see the young talent in our community.”
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