Art Battle: Students to Create and Display Artwork at Upcoming Spring Showcase

RICHMOND COUNTY – Art students from Richmond Senior High School (RSHS) as well as the Ninth Grade Academy are getting ready for an upcoming show that will take place for one day only.

On Thursday, May 24th at the Cole Auditorium on the Richmond Community College campus in Hamlet, NC, art students from the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades will be busy placing their works on display as well as creating live pieces for the community to come out and enjoy. 

This will be the second year that RSHS will have students from chorus, band, and art classes participating in the Spring Showcase. It will be the first year art teacher Karen Good from the Ninth Grade Academy will have her art students participating. 

There will be a variety of art on display; this includes oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil, charcoal, sculptures, and photography. RSHS art teacher Andrea McIver stated “The students are looking forward to this and are excited about displaying their artwork.” 

McIver has been teaching art for eight years, having begun her stint at RSHS in 2017. She previously taught at Hamlet Middle School for six years. “It’s cool to see the students creating their pieces, and I try to relate artwork to real life – continue until we get it right.” 

The Spring Showcase Art Battle was birthed when teachers Mike Ward, RSHS band instructor; Andrea McIver, RSHS art teacher; and Erin McNair, RSHS chorus teacher all got together and discussed their desire to connect the community further in the area of the arts. “Watching art come alive connects the community. We want everyone to experience the process because it is as valuable as the product” stated McNair. The students are also taught the business side of art which may hopefully benefit them in relation to future benefits and/or direct income. When money enters the scene, it adds value. 

In addition to encouraging students’ interest in the arts, this was the first school year in which RSHS offered Advanced Placement Art (AP Art) at a freshman college level. If students complete all that is required in their portfolio and they score sufficiently high, they will receive college credits. 

Art will come alive as the Art Battle begins at 5 p.m. with the concert following at 7 p.m. Students will be onsite from 5 – 7 p.m. creating actual paintings which will then be sold off by auctioneer Jason Perakis during show intermission. There will also be other pieces available to bid on in a silent auction. All the proceeds will go to the students for the sale of their pieces. 

Twisted Treats will also be onsite for you to purchase a treat after the event in order to help offset the cost of the auditorium. 

Come out to enjoy the Spring Showcase as well as showing your support to these talented students as they create and display their pieces.