Arts Center hosts high school collection

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Arts Center welcomed a large crowd on Friday evening, premiering the annual Charles City High School Art Show as this month’s featured display.

Featuring roughly 300 pieces from 100 high school students, the Arts Center is packed with pottery, paintings, animations and more, showcasing the work the students have created during the school year.

“It’s a huge variety of different mediums,” said art instructor Brian Bohlen. “We just have a lot of talented kids.”

Many of the arts students attended the Friday open house, pointing out their work and explaining their processes to friends, family and strangers alike.

“It’s nice to see kids here and it’s nice when the kids can talk to community members about their work,” said Bohlen.

The annual arts show also serves as a way for the students to gauge their own development, bringing in their work year after year.

“I feel like I’ve expanded my scope,” said Natalie King, a junior whose artistic offerings this year included pottery decorated with the Sgraffito technique, a process of glazing the pottery and then scratching it off to bring out the color of the base layer.

King said she was happy to show off her work and just as excited to see what her peers have been creating all in one place.

“There’s so many beautiful pieces here,” said King. “I’m blown away by the things I’m seeing. It’s amazing that they’re all my classmates.”

While the open house reception was held on Friday, the high school’s art exhibit will be featured at the Arts Center through the month of April for anybody that wants to appreciate the work.