Photos, sculptures, paintings, drawings, self portraits, prints, collages, and digital media are some of just a few ways people make art. In our San Marcos community, much of this art goes undetected making the annual San Marcos Art Show a great way for students to view the artistic talents of our San Marcos artists. This year, the event opened on Thursday, May 16th. Students can visit anytime during the school day–Mondays to Thursdays–to view some fabulous student art.
“All of the art teachers at SMHS save artworks from our students throughout the year to include in the show,” said San Marcos art teacher Ms Garibay. “It [the art show] includes hundreds of impressive artworks in mixed mediums such as painting, drawing, digital art, photography, sculpture, and mixed media.”
In addition, San Marcos students have submitted work to various competitions around the community and have won many awards in the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper and the Santa Barbara Sister Cities 2024 Young Artists and Authors Showcase.
The Santa Barbara Sister Cities 2024 Young Artists and Authors showcase saw two San Marcos students taking first and second prize. This competition invites artists to dig deeper into pressing issues like climate change and its impact on cities. This year’s theme was ClimateScape: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate which aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 agenda. First prize was awarded to senior Laura Spieler for her piece Spokes of Sustainability while second prize went to sophomore Aung Zaw. Spieler’s piece will move on to compete at the international level.
“I think art is a really powerful way to express ideas like sustainability,” said Spieler. “Because if people don’t see it, they won’t do anything about it. So if you see a really powerful art piece, it gets you thinking.”
The Santa Barbara Channelkeeper student art show is an annual event that showcases the relationship between youth and the ocean. Students from high schools around Santa Barbara county are invited to submit their work to showcase the beauty of our oceans and to inspire community members to take action for our oceans.
This year, San Marcos had six student award winners and 29 finalists which was the most out of any high school. First place at this competition went to freshman Maddie Medina, second place went to freshman Yaira Zavala Gonzalez and third place went to junior Gianna Mills. Senior Dazli Rosario Gutierrez won the Chris Potter Environmental Ethic Award and senior Jaden Licha won the Juror’s Choice Award. Finally, an honorable mention was given to freshman Victoria Martinez Pinaranda.
“I learned that everyone interprets the theme differently. It was so cool to see the mixed media,” said Rosario Gutierrez. “I think I saw someone glue shells onto their painting.”
Great work to our Royal Artists! This year has been a highly successful year for the San Marcos Arts Department so if you see these artists around, congratulate them and make sure to check out their incredible work either in the Art Show or online.
