Beginning April 10th and running through May 10th, the annual Malden Blue and Gold Art Gallery, presented at 350 Main Street from 5:30-7:30, wowed viewers with various spectacular pieces of art. A variety of these pieces were brought by Foundations of Art and Studio teachers Shalea Niles and Kristina Gilbert, as welll as ceramics teacher Julie Mullane.
As soon as you enter the building, you are greeted by the gallery that extends from the front of the building to the back door. The gallery displays exquisite pieces ranging from portraits and different techniques to vases and bowls. Following the opening night, more pieces will be displayed throughout the exhibit’s entirety.
Behind the process of what is submitted and chosen, Niles detailed how throughout the whole year, both teachers slowly collected artwork from students as they finished their work. Gilbert went into further detail about how elimination rounds took place as they narrowwed their choice and chose the best of the best. Mullane, on the other hand, motivated her students to submit work of their own choosing.
The opening night featured a banquet of complimentary food and snacks, served alongside free drinks. Throughout the opening night, Principal Chris Mastrangelo would deliver a speech regarding the “Teen Perspectives on Immigration” contest hosted by the Immigrant Learning Center. In the speech, it acknowledged all those who participated in the competition, including students like junior Jessica Chen.
The gallery displayed contest pieces from the same contest that detailed the struggles and interpretations of immigrants through a teenage perspective. First-place winner and sophomore Jason Juan shared his honor and appreciation through a brief speech. Juan expressed his initial doubts, stating how knowing his art “is displayed in public” poses a “complicated feeling.” Despite Juan’s doubts, he felt it was “overall rewarding to see the final piece representing my thoughts and effort.”
To the right of the front entrance, a table of ceramic projects and paintings are presented. Of the many paintings, sophomore Trini Le reflected on her immigrant art piece: “It felt rewarding to see it framed.”
Continuing forward, featured works from Niles’ Digital Art class include posters and graphic design.Taking a left turn towards the hallway featured an alley of paintings from Studio. Many students, such as Le and sophomore Cathen Fontanilla, celebrated their artworks, being proud of all the work chosen to be displayed.
Further along, the hall presents artwork from Foundations of Art, and eventually, more ceramic pieces.
Despite the large gathering on the opening night, Gilbert, Mullane, and Niles anticipated a larger crowd of students and parents. Gilbert explained, “It wasn’t quite as big of a crowd as we were hoping for that we’ve gotten in past years, but we are still kind of building the art program up post-COVID.”
Mullane declared similar sentiments, sharing that although the gallery did “have a lot of people there,” they wished “we always had more.” Niles generalized and recapped her first annual gallery: “I would say not so much overwhelming. I am [tensed up], but also rewarded at the same time because we get to see all we’ve worked for.”
Fontanilla concluded, expressing gratitude to the Blue & Gold Art Gallery. “I felt appreciated and acknowledged. As an artist, it’s challenging to gain publicity on my own, but with the help of the school, I was able to showcase my art to a wider audience.” With the assistance of the school and the art teachers, artists at Malden High School are given exposure and the chance to display their talents.
A video showcasing the gallery by Evelyn Ruan can be found here.
