Horry-Georgetown County High Schools 15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition

Sunday, April 17, marks the opening of the 15th anniversary edition of this annual two-county wide juried high school exhibition at The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum.

Opening day will feature an open-to-the public award ceremony. Jim Arendt, director, Coastal Carolina University Art Gallery, will present and announce all awards.

“Our museum’s focus is education through the visual arts, particularly for our community. This exhibition connects to the museum to area high schools and teachers and students,”says Pat Goodwin, FBSC director.

Liz Miller, curator of the FBSC Art Museum notes, “Paintings in oil and acrylic, watercolors, drawings, sculpture, photography, pastel, prints, ceramics, mixed media and even digital paintings, scratch art, wood burnings, and fiber art have been among types of work shown in the past.”

This year’s display will likely be equally varied.

“Arielle Fatuova, our education director, and I have formed great relationships with the area art teachers,” Miller said. “They keep us informed, telling us that many of the students go on to the collegiate level and many stay in the arts. Several of Arielle’s recent museum interns who came from CCU’s Masters in art education were student exhibiters here during their high school years.”

Teachers select a group of work. From that grouping, a panel from the museum visits and makes the final selection of pieces that will be shown in the exhibit. Awards are made by each year’s judge.

“We try to make this experience as educational as possible, keeping our standards of quality heightened in regard to the student work and writing,” Miller said, adding all accepted pieces must have an accompanying artist statement. “We want the students to learn what is like to be a professional exhibiting artist through the entire process from submitting their work for jury, acceptances, to seeing it installed in a Museum setting.”

This feeling of mutual respect is shared by the area teachers.

Experience of Teachers and Students

Several teachers and students expressed their feelings about the exhibit.

Kelley French, art teacher Socastee High School said, “This art exhibit represents an experience for high school students to engage in professional procedures for real life skills that include preparing for critiques and deadlines and an understanding of the value of their talent that might plant the seed for a career consideration.”

Two of the Socastee students selected this year, Sierra Eley, and Mattie Tharp expressed great excitement of the impact of their acceptance into this year’s show.

“It feels very rewarding to know that my artwork will be shown in a professional environment,” Eley said. “It is a great learning experience for the future and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to show my community my passion.”

Tharp said, “It feels unreal, my thinking is; I never thought I could achieve this. I now feel supported by experienced artists that can see my desire and vision for visual arts.”

Olivia Thornton, Myrtle Beach High School AP Visual Arts Instructor said, “Many students enjoy having their work exhibited--it justly gives them a strong sense of pride in their work.”

Thornton said that this is one of the school’s favorite events, but not the only one that results in displays of student art on the Grand Strand and elsewhere. Among other places, MBHS work is on display, Ripley’s Aquarium, Collector’s Cafe and Gallery, the state fair, Conway Glass, the Horry County Museum, the Conway Library, ART Burger Sushi Bar, and more.

“It is an amazing opportunity to have my art in such a public place with other amazing art,” said TJ Roth, an MBHS student whose work will be on display at the museum this year.

St. James High School’s art teacher Sherry Strickland Martin said, “Being accepted into the exhibition usually inspires them (students), encourages them to pursue art further and grow in their craft. It’s a wonderful confidence builder. Students enjoy that others outside their school and classroom can appreciate, admire and acknowledge work they are proud of.”

Erin Callahan’s “Pretty In Pink” is one of the watercolor works selected from St James.

Callahan, a senior, said, “ Having my work exhibited inspires me to continue to improve with my artistic endeavors. To have my work chosen makes me feel proud for being recognized in the art community.”

For Molly Rump, a St. James freshman, this year is her first experience with the show.

“I’m so honored and thrilled to be a part of this amazing opportunity,” Rump said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have my artwork entered in the show. I have always loved art and have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about art at St. James High.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Horry-Georgetown County High Schools 15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition."