The wall near NWA’s front desk in Plaza has been recently transformed into an art display. The Arts After Hours class–Art Happening–has taken full control of the wall and turned it into a space to showcase work from within and outside the school community.
“One of the things that we specifically wanted to do was have it be student work that wasn’t made for classes,” said Asher Fritts–Weeks, a senior who helped start the course. “There’s so much work put up that’s just for classes, but so many people have art practices outside of school.”
Art Happening began in 2022 when five freshmen expressed interest for an art appreciation class to Amy Bay, the school’s Admissions Associate who is active in the Portland art community. The class was set in motion shortly after, with students visiting different exhibits around downtown Portland and talking to artists. Now, the class aims to teach students how to curate and appreciate art on a small budget.
“I basically guide and show them the best practices,” said Bay. “[How] you hang your work with a 60 inch center and the materials you use to hang shows. They had already really gotten an idea of some possible approaches to curating because we’ve seen so many shows around town.”
The students create an exhibit by choosing a theme and reaching out to student artists who could contribute. Once the art has been selected, a title and essay are created, detailing the theme and process of the project.
The current display in Plaza showcases work from Karl Burkheimer, an artist inspired by Japanese architecture. The show, titled detection of change, will stay up until May 28th. He chose the word “change” because of its ability to blend with the original space in Plaza. During Arts Week in May, Burkheimer is also set to offer workshops for students.
Burkheimer was specifically chosen by students because his art pieces are interactive and will not impact student’s ability to use the space.
“I’m using two platforms from older structures, and then I’m adapting them to fit in that space,” said Burkheimer. “The platforms lift people off the ground, so they become kind of a place to sit and perch … Upstairs will be another piece that’s on the typical gallery wall upstairs. It’ll be long and narrow, and it’ll be full of objects … and then through the time of the exhibition, people will swap in their own. Mine will be replaced with students.”
Burkheimer’s art has been displayed in museums across the country, though he also offers privately commissioned works for homes. He has received several awards, including the 2013 U.S.-Japan Creative Artist Fellowship.
“We went to his studio and it was really cool to see,” said Ella Celko, a sophomore in Art Happening. “He’s very intentional about all his artwork, even the titles.”
In the future, Bay hopes to present three to four shows a year. One of these shows will feature work from an artist outside of NWA to expand students’ experience with curation. Last year the class curated a show called The Wind, which showcased Western aesthetics and was displayed in Bay’s office.
“So many people at this school are cowboy-esque, and I feel like people make a lot of work that has that Western aura to it,” said Irma Nacinovich, a senior in the class. “We started brainstorming and just naming people who we knew would fit into the idea, and then we started having deeper discussions about what that concept meant, then we could narrow it down to which artists to choose even more.”
The Wind was a collection of student made clothing, photography and scrimshaw, all created outside of a class assignment. When the show was put up, many students showed interest in more exhibits so the team decided to add curation to the curriculum of the class.
“We wanted to have a show of our own at school,” said Rose Veneklase, a senior who is one of the original students in the class. “This year the class has become half creation, half visiting galleries.”
Their next show, called Our Mother the Mountain, was displayed at Fans Only, a gallery in downtown Portland, allowing students to present their work outside of the school.
“The show at Fans Only was very exciting because we got the experience of working with a gallery that has been [working] for a longer time and [with] people who have more experience with the art world,” Veneklase said.
Another exhibition, Sibling Station, featured art from Skye and Teagan Groves. The pieces ranged from crochet to fan art and had been made throughout their lives. The theme highlighted how their art had evolved with them over time.
“I [got] nervous every time I [saw Sibling Station],” said Teagan Groves, a sophomore. “It’s a little embarrassing, but it’s still nice to see it there and be reminded… having more art up [around the school], whether it’s my art or not, it just makes me happy.”
Reporting by Anthony Casuga and Cecily Davis
