Sophomore Karen Khela and Chelmsford High School art teacher Maddie Alves pose with Ms. Khela’s piece, “Fear of Change,” at the 7th Annual Greater Lowell Regional Art Show
by Jennie Oemig
Chelmsford – Three Chelmsford High School students are participating in the Loading Dock Gallery’s exhibit “Evolving Perspectives” at the 7th Annual Greater Lowell Regional Art Show organized by Innovation Academy.
The exhibit, which will be on display through Jan. 28, showcases young artists from greater Lowell area high schools, and comments on the world and the world-to-be.
Responding to such prompts as “Future,” “Change,” “Differences,” “Unknown,” and “Self,” the artists explore the questions they and their rising generation face: “What do I see in the world right now?” and “What do I do?”
“Pollution in Schools” is a watercolor and block print piece by Scar Dang, a senior.
“This piece brings light to the abundance of pollution within the ocean,” Dang shared in a statement about the piece. “The trash represents how pollution has become integrated into the school of fish; litter, like bottles and cans, taints our waters so commonly that it has turned into the norm.”
Junior Jordan Cox created “Identity,” using watercolor, pencil and pen.
“It has my self-portrait in the center of the paper in black and white,” Cox said of the piece. “Surrounding it are colorful shapes that have pictures inside that have made an impact on my life or mean something to me. I made myself black and white in this piece and the small pictures colorful because without them I would not be who I am.”
Sophomore Karen Khela, used graphite to create “Fear of Change,” which represents how it feels to be crushed by the weight of different perspectives.
“Each line represents a different perspective,” she said. “Some fall in the foreground, and some fall in the background. They shroud the girl in an uneasy way, falling around her face, clouding her judgment. She wishes to speak to them, but she can’t.”
Further explaining her piece, Khela said that, in a society where speaking ones mind is often criticized and punished, it’s difficult to speak on anything without having a reputation tarnished.
“In order to maintain a good social standing, we remain silent in the face of sharp, opposing views,” she shared. “We fear openness. We fear change.”
