The normally quiet library slowly filled with people and art last Thursday as the fine arts department began to set up this year’s art show. Some of the best student art from this school year was carefully displayed, with pieces from all the Visual Fine Arts classes.

Harding High has always placed great importance on the artistic development of its students. With 17 visual arts classes offered and a full year of art required of all students, even the artistically challenged will experience drawing, painting, and possibly silk screening and ceramics before moving on from Harding.

“Ms. Backstrom and I started the art show probably 25 years ago,” said Ms. Jane Nelson, a Harding art teacher and one of the main coordinators of the show. “It’s a great way to show off our students’ talent.”

By seventh period Friday, the library was fairly cluttered with various works of all mediums, but the real show was not to start until Monday. “We are still just setting up,” said Ms. Christine Berger, a fine arts teacher. “When you come in here next week there will be many more pieces.” Come Monday, the random clutter was replaced with a rather professional-looking art display, which filled a majority of the library’s main room.

The art department teachers hand out honors to four pieces in each medium. “We give the awards to pieces that are particularly visually intriguing and technically sound,” said Ms. Berger. “We also try to hand them out to students from different levels of art, such as Painting One, Two, and Studio. It was difficult to decided the winners this year as there are especially many great works.”

Last year, a “Best in Show” award was handed out to one piece according to student votes, but there is no such award this year. “We decided not to attempt to coordinate that this year; it’s so late in the school year and there was just not enough time,” said Ms. Berger.

Any student can submit a piece to the art show, and many do. Although the exact number of works displayed is not known, four large lunch tables and over twenty chairs were covered with art by Monday. “It’s a great way to get a lot of different pieces out there that wouldn’t ordinarily be seen,” said Ms. Berger. “Every medium is well represented this year.”