With Spring approaching, the Annual Blue and Gold Art Gallery is returning! The art gallery is an event that allows talented students to showcase their artwork. The soon-to-be event will have an opening on April 4th at 350 Main Street from 5:30-7:30 pm, but it will go on until May 15.
This special event has been going on for about more than 20 years and it can be significant for the many students who work hard to have their art displayed. Not only is it a way for students to show off what they have been working on, but an opportunity for people to support their classmates and friends.
There are many things to expect from the art gallery. This year, they will be displaying many different art forms, including portraits and posters that will be hung, and ceramics that will be set out on a table.
All of the art teachers are in charge of picking out which pieces will be displayed, which can be difficult because there are many to choose from. Art teacher Joseph Luongo stated, “There's almost 200 pieces." Another art teacher who is also a ceramics teacher, Julie Mullane, said that there is no exact answer but they try to have a lot of the senior work up because this is their last chance for students who are planning on going to an art school.” She also added, “There are students in here that have won a state-wide competition called the Boston Scholastic Art Show, so anyone who was elected for that show has their artwork displayed. But sometimes kids who are just working hard might not be top artists, but they are proud of their work.”
“I think if you went there, you would just think it was a professional art show, you wouldn't think it was high school students,” expressed Mullane.
For about 20 years, the event has been taking place in the same building. Luongo mentioned, “Mr. Preotle who owns the building on 350 Main Street has been gracious enough to donate the space which is ready for gallery work to be hung,” and said that, “he's always been very generous, not just with donating space and the wires to hang the work, but also the food that will be there as well.”
There are many goals for this event but Luongo said that his main goal is “to have as many people as possible. I know that Mr. Mastrangelo will be there and the Mayor is almost always there as well as other people from the school committee.” He also added, “It's not so much that they accomplish anything but it's basically proof that they’ve done a really good job throughout the year and this is evidence of the type of quality work that all the students are capable of.”
Luongo and Mullane both hope that when the event happens, many people will come to the art gallery to support the students at Malden High and to see their high-level and amazing artwork.
