Lyza Stevens had a few things on display Thursday night at the Sierra High School’s Evening of the Arts.
There was a sketched self-portrait, a detailed crayon composition, a perspective piece that she said was her personal favorite and a small sculpture on an ornately decorated table.
But don’t expect the freshman – the daughter of an art teacher – to brag about her accomplishments or the work that she does when she steps into the art classroom.
She just enjoys creating.
“I just enjoy being creative,” Stevens said. “I really like art, and the creativity that it gives me – there’s a sense of freedom there.”
For several hours Thursday students turned Sierra High’s cafeteria into an art gallery that showcased the best of their talents in mediums ranging from drawing and sculpture to painting and photography.
But while the walls and most of the tables were adorned with varying types of visual art, the night was about a whole lot more than just those styles.
According to band teacher Rick Hammarstrom – who has been teaching students how to master their instruments for decades – it gives students in the visual arts the chance to see things that they wouldn’t normally see, like band and drama, and those other students the chance to take a closer look at the creativity of their fellow students.
“From our perspective, this is a chance to play music for people that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to access – they’re here to look at certain things but they’ll make their way over and we’ll get the chance to show them what we can do,” Hammarstrom said. “That works both ways, because it also gives our band students the chance to take a look at some of the artwork that they wouldn’t normally be able to see because they’re involved with other things.
“This is all about creativity, and that is definitely on display here tonight.”
Back in the corner of the room, Dave Hunter was moving slowly along the back wall examining pictures that were taken by the school’s advanced photography students.
His stepdaughter, senior Cheyenne Davidson, had a picture on display on the wall as well as other art pieces that were displayed for the night.
Naturally, he said, he was there to see her work but was captivated by what the students across the board were able to achieve.
“Just looking around here, I think that it’s amazing – this is an up-and-coming generation,” Hunter said. “I’m blown away at how advanced they are at a young age. I’m just sitting here looking at these things and they’re bringing back all of these feelings and memories that I had at that age but didn’t really know how to describe back then. I’m more than impressed.”