The fourth annual IB Visual Arts 2 Exhibition displayed over twenty unique pieces of art from eight IB Art seniors.

DePaul Prep participated in the Festival of the Arts from 2017 to 2019. In 2021 DePaul held its first stand-alone IB Visual Arts Exhibition. Last year was the highest participation in history, with ten students in total. 

Hyunju Park, the IB Visual Arts teacher and the director of the showcase, encouraged students to come support the IB Art seniors.  Students choose their individual themes and created 4-7 pieces. The artists worked on these pieces throughout the year. The exhibit opened Wednesday April 10 and ran until April 17. 

Park worked hand in hand with IB Coordinator, Heidi Bojorges, Film Teacher, Jonathan Moeller, and Building Supervisor Cristobal Santibanez to organize this event. Each of them contributed to the set up and supplies needed for a successful show. 

Park said, “ Visitors experienced a variety of mediums, from painting/drawing, to sculpture, to textile and installation art. You can expect an exciting space full of different colors, shapes, ideas, and dreams!”

Senior Kathleen Mueller shared that she had always been interested in art, so when she joined the IB diploma program, taking art was the clear choice. 

Mueller said, “One aspect of the exhibition is taking influence from a certain artist while you work. For example, we did a project where we worked with the technique and style of Kerry James Marshall and another with Shannon Bool and her photography.” 

This class exposed students to different artists and techniques. Mueller had a total of seven pieces in the show, half of which are acrylic, and the others are a range of different mediums, including sculpture, textile, and photographic collage.

Senior Kristina Alday had six pieces of art in the show. Alday’s portfolio consists of a range of mediums. Alday had three paintings, a charcoal illustration, cardboard sculpture that she worked on with another student and a piece that is a mixture of photography and digital art were in the showcase. 

Alday wanted visitors to know, “With my exhibition, I hope to convey my growth as an artist and to display my appreciation for my culture. While I won’t go super deep on my exhibition theme, it’s a love letter to my heritage.”

Every artist has a story, these are just a few.