The LHS Fine and Performing Arts program is highly prestigious, and senior Rachel Stein has shined in the fine arts, earning the High Merit Award at the Celebrating Art Spring 2024 National Competition. The competition is run annually through CelebratingArt.com in the spring, summer, and fall. Students from grades K-12 can compete; either teachers enter their students or students enter themselves into the competition. Then, the judges and educators behind the competition invite the top 45% of pieces to be published on their website.
During the spring of last year, art teacher Michael Kunz decided to enter Stein into the competition. She was enrolled in AP Art and was completing her sustained investigation named, “Reflections of a Childhood Halloween.” The project that was submitted and picked to be published is called, “Facing Fear.” The AP Art course and the process of creating one’s portfolio is extremely demanding and rigorous. It is time-consuming and tests the skills of the artists who take it. Kunz noted how Stein was well-equipped to handle the class and exceeded in it, especially with this project.
Her piece depicts a frightened child surrounded by countless clowns, all with different facial expressions and shapes. “[Stein] took well to the fact that it was a painting…she is an excellent painter, [and] she developed a really strong composition. The color palette developed the piece,” Kunz expressed. Due to the intricacies of the faces of the clowns, the piece was a difficult one to produce and highlights Stein’s artistic skills in each stroke. Additionally, Kunz added he is always proud of any of his students’ accomplishments because he is happy that they are getting recognition for the hard work they put into their art. He explained AP Art is a class that demands hard work all year round, and students experience many highs and lows as a result.
When asked about the meaning of this project to her, Stein said, “This project definitely had a special meaning…it was one of the first AP Art projects where I was able to experiment with a unique color palette and composition.” Those techniques were able to help her improve her art throughout the year. She also added that she is “really happy with how the piece turned out” and “most proud of the fact that [she] took a chance entering into a prestigious contest” because “it is a great feeling to know others appreciated [her] art.” Awards like this make the rigor of AP Art class seem worthwhile because it provides artists such as Stein with a fire to continue creating pieces and work hard.
Art Department Chairperson Vincent Lentini has been an integral part of the success of the art program. He teaches classes that explore different mediums like Printmaking/Sculpture and Studio Art, which demonstrates his passion for artistic education. He shared, “Awards like this one are a testament to the education that these students are getting about art and all the hard work they are putting in.” As head of the department, he takes great pride in seeing students succeed.
