An exciting York tradition, Fine Arts Weeks allows for students at York to partake in a series of showcases and immersions into the arts. Fine Arts Week explores a diverse array of artistic mediums from music to the visual arts. In particular, the Art Fair is an amazing opportunity for all students to experience the arts for themselves in the multitude of options available for hands-on activities.
A lot of work goes into the making of the Art Fair, coordination of teachers and students to participate and host the fair. AP Art Teacher Renee Kuharchuk believes that the Art Fair is a great opportunity for students to come out and try the arts.
“We have colored pencils, we have clay, we have other fun activities like bracelets and henna tattoos,” Kuharchuk said. “We’ve done a lot of different types of media through the years in doing the Art Fair. It’s mostly an event where students can come out and just try a bunch of things and kind of experiment. They get a little taste for different arts.”
The AP Art students played a key role in carrying out the events. These students work in a variety of different artistic mediums, bringing in their expertise to introduce their passions to the York student body. Senior Evelyn Exiner has been doing art at York ever since her freshman year, she started off in the drawing and painting classes before finding her passion in ceramics and jewelry. She hosted the pottery wheel during Fine Arts Week, an exciting opportunity for students to try their hand at clay.
“I like inspiring others to try new things and inspiring others to express themselves through art,” Exiner said. “There’s not just one way to do it, there’s music, there’s painting, there’s ceramics, there’s so many different creative ways you can express yourself.”
Inspiring through their work and craft, the Art Fair participants create an amazing opportunity for students to experience everything art has to offer. Junior AP Art student Delilah Kamiens loves everything about art, having done it ever since she was young. Now, through hosting the henna station at the Art Fair, she gets to share with students all of the joy art has to offer.
“This is going to sound so cheesy, but I like seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they see their cool art in their hand, I feel like I’m making masterpieces,” Kamiens said.
There is so much to get from this art fair, and from the arts in general. The arts hold so much meaning and significance. From students to teachers, the importance of art as a medium of expression is boundless.
“Art is really valuable to me, just as an outlet and also as a means of self-expression,” Kuharchuk said.
Seeing art invokes inspiration and admiration, but taking part in the making of art truly shows how human it is. Everyone can create, and at the Art Fair, it isn’t a question of skill. Everyone can take part in the joys of art and creation. An incredible opportunity for all those taking part in it, whether through hosting or through participating in their events.
“I think it’s so great that, you know, it’s something that humans create and do,” Kuharchuk said. “It’s all manufactured from our creative spirit. What’s really great about art is that you get to be yourself and you get to find things that are really interesting and unique to you.”
