By Isabel Hicks

The 28th annual CSUN Art Show is being hosted from March 25 to April 20 and will feature artwork from high school students across the San Fernando Valley including three pieces from Granada Hills Charter (GHC) students. This year’s featured GHC students are juniors Gianna Iacobellis and Uma Inaishi, and seniors Zainab Al-Atya, Regalado Cantuba, Autumn Eleopoulos, and Mia Mendez.

“It means a lot to be featured in this art show,” junior Uma Inaishi said. “Just being recognized as a young artist is great, and I can put this experience in my portfolio for college because building my portfolio is really important for my future in art and education.”

The reception of the Art Show will be held on April 13, where parents and students are invited to come and immerse themselves in the art of students from various schools.

The exhibit features a variety of art forms, including drawings, sculptures, video installations, photographs, and paintings. CSUN’s elected juror, a professional artist, Regina Herod, judges two pieces of art from each participating high school.

Schools within a 15-mile radius of CSUN are encouraged to submit six entries from two teachers.
“Each of us has nearly 200 students,” art teacher Stefani Thomas said. “So it is very tough to choose only three artworks, let alone six. We generally reserve the opportunity for our AP or advanced students.”

By being featured, young artists have the opportunity to showcase their talent and share their passion for art with others. CSUN’s art show inspires students to truly reflect on their personal identities and experiences.

The Art Show is divided into separate galleries, the Main Gallery, the West Gallery, and the Salon de Refuses, which is inspired by the real historical art gallery in the Palace of Industry.

In 1863, the Paris Salon jury refused two-thirds of the paintings presented to them, and after many protests, Emperor Napoleon gave into public opinion. He allowed the refused artwork to be featured in another gallery, and the term “Salon de Refuse” was coined, referring to the artwork not chosen by a juror.

“Another reason why this art show is important is it has the potential to give all of us a glimpse of the ‘zeitgeist,’ the ideas, fears, concerns, mood, or spirit of the time,” art teacher Emmanuel Crespo said. “What are our young creatives thinking about? What are they concerned with?”
The show has free admissions, and GHC’s art teachers highly encourage Highlanders to attend and support their featured peers.

“As artists, it is important to see and be in dialogue with the work that is out there,” Crespo said. “Being a part of the show and viewing work in a show allows students to take part in that exchange of ideas, find inspiration for their own work, develop their ability to really look, appreciate, and think critically about art.”