Fishers High School students display their artwork at Community Center

Inaugural exhibition now on display through November, with plans to expand to other schools

Students from Fishers High School (FHS) have a new way to showcase their art through a partnership with the Fishers Community Center (FCC) Strengthened by IU Health, and the City of Fishers.

The inaugural exhibition, now on display at the FCC, features approximately two dozen pieces of original artwork created by FHS Advanced Placement Art students, and student-sculpted ceramics displayed near the entrance. The two-dimensional works, drawings, and mixed-media pieces created on flat surfaces, includes pieces from an assignment in which students revisited and reimagined their previous artwork, experimenting with composition, color, and design.

The collaborative initiative began when FHS Visual Arts Department Chair Jasmine Osborne approached the FCC about providing a dedicated space for student artwork. The new partnership provides students with an opportunity to showcase their artistic talents beyond the classroom and school hallways. The exhibition is on display in public hallways of the center that are free and open for all to visit, regardless of membership.

“Our students pour their heart into their art. It takes weeks and weeks of development, planning and refining,” Osborne said. “I hope they can feel pride in seeing it here, and I hope they feel like they deserve to have others view their art.”

 

 

 

 

For FHS senior Wil Lewandowski, who helped install the exhibition, seeing student art displayed in a public space brings a new sense of accomplishment.

“It’s such a different feeling to have art that you make in school to have graded by a teacher versus having that in a real place where other people are coming and seeing it,” Lewandowski said. “It makes you feel kind of professional.”

The first exhibition is intended to be one of many. Osborne, in collaboration with her fellow art instructors throughout HSE Schools, is exploring opportunities to rotate and feature artwork from additional grade levels and schools throughout the district.

“We’re fortunate to live in a community that finds ways to showcase our students and their talents beyond the classroom. It’s something that makes Fishers special,” HSE Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said.

Plans are also underway to expand the partnership to the Fishers Health Department, where student-created artwork would be displayed in clinic rooms.

“The Fishers Community Center was built to bring our community together and this partnership is another way we’re making it happen,” FCC Director Mike Lindbloom said. “We’re excited to give local students a place to showcase their creativity and add something special for our visitors to enjoy.”

You can see the students’ artwork during their next visit to the FCC, located at 11400 Johnson Farm Way.