A tribute to the vivacity of street art, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) hosted its annual Spring Art Auction entitled “Decked Out.” The auction’s final in-person event was hosted on June 2, featuring homages to various different street artists, their works painted and displayed on skateboard decks. These contemporary artists ranged from Eduardo Kobra (@kobrastreetart on Instagram) to Keith Haring. Student artists were free to choose which artists they wanted to emulate.. “We had a lot of time to prepare our boards for the auction, and this was the first time I have ever painted on a skateboard, which was exciting,” explained sophomore Carolina Villadiego. She continued, “…for my piece, I was inspired by Cody James and Jeff Koons. Cody James paints realistic objects on top of spray painted surfaces. Jeff Koons primarily creates sculptures, and I was inspired by his balloon dogs.” Street art is an integral part of the skateboard scene, and thus the amalgam of graffiti art and skating created the perfect theme.

The process of creating the boards was intensive, as NAHS artists had to outline and layout their boards on this unconventional canvas. Many different mediums were used, chiefly paint and paint markers. “I loved the painting process of the skateboard,” remarked senior Aleeza Khurram, vice president of the NAHS. “I think that the skateboards were such a unique form of canvas….[they] brought a sense of unification when seeing everyone’s skateboards in the gallery.” Khurram was inspired by the artist @belin.es on Instagram, a Spanish artist with an expressionist street style.

 The hard work that these students put into their pieces did not go unnoticed, and their time to shine was displayed during the online charity auction. Parents, school staff, and even other art teachers from out of New York State began to eagerly bid on the skateboards, with starting bids beginning at around $35. The online auction went on from May 26 to June 1, with boards wracking up to hundreds of dollars after several consecutive bids. It was a time of excitement for the students, and the fact that the funds were being distributed between funding for the honor society itself as well as the Mary Brennan INN provided more meaning to the purpose of the auction. The Mary Brennan Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) is a soup kitchen in Hempstead operated by both volunteers and full time workers. It began in 1983 and soon expanded its space to serve between 300 and 500 guests per day. The INN receives many volunteers, both students and teachers alike, thus being a charity integral to the LHS community.

After the online auction closed, the final in-person night would determine who would receive the skateboards, and tally up the final amount raised for the auction. The school’s Bern Seiderman Gallery was lit up, featuring all of the skateboards, and guests were free to walk through the gallery and put down their bids on the lists provided. There was a countdown at the end of night, signaling the end of the event. Guests were free to leave with their newly won skateboards, some even being shipped out of state to other eager bidders.

The Spring Art Auction ended with a masterful funding total of over $1,500 in bids. Art teacher and NAHS supervisor Michael Kunz remarked on the success of the auction: “I think the auction went well! This was the first time we did an online auction that transitioned into an in-person auction. I thought the members did an amazing job painting the decks. The feedback was very positive.”