Student Artists Shine at Art Night

The talent of Scotts Valley’s very own student artists was on full display on Friday night at the ninth-annual Art Night.

The event, which drew a few hundred art spectators, featured the yearlong work of nearly 120 Scotts Valley High School art students in Graphic Design, IB Art, Art Foundations and Art 2.

It was an evening for the students to show off their hard work and for parents and community members to show their support for the arts in Scotts Valley.

“I’m really excited about the turnout and that people came out to support our art students,” said SVHS Graphic Design teacher, Emily Brandt. “It’s really good to advocate the fine arts for our community and to let the community know what great things the students are doing.”

Brandt said that the yearly event is so important to the students and that she cherishes seeing how proud they are as they show off their work.

“My students get empowered by their work,” Brandt said. “It makes them feel good and it fills me with joy.”

Senior IB Art student, Natalie Biehl, discussed her work and her inspirations during the event.

“I’m really inspired by babies and how their expressions are not tainted by the outside world. It’s so pure,” she said, standing next to a painting she did of herself as a baby. “I feel like when babies look around, they are soaking in the beauty around them.”

Natalie, whose mother was an artist, said she hopes that art will one day play a larger role in her life as well.

“I’m really inspired by my mother,” she said. “I love art and hope it takes me places. I really want to develop myself as an artist and find my niche.”

The use of color was a central theme in senior Maiya Moncino’s paintings and sculptures.

“I’m really inspired by color in general,” the IB Art student said. “I like to explore ways to make colors different.”

For art teacher Nicole Bommarito, the pride she had in her students was evident.

“Their products are incredible,” she said. “There is a lot of context and intent in their work.”

Bommarito said that she has watched her students really develop their own style and direction during their time with her and that they are all very talented in their own right.

Brandt agreed, adding that the two teachers really push their students to be the best artists they can be.

“We don’t dumb it down,” Brandt said. “We push them to that professional level. And we really work with them to help them find what they love. They are only going to do good work if it is something they care about.”

As parents wandered around the Student Union taking in all of the artwork, Richard Utic stopped to see what his daughter Abbey had created.

“I was curious to come and see what she has been doing,” Utic said. “I’m pretty impressed. We never had anything like this when I was in high school. These pieces are beyond kids just having fun. There’s some really good stuff here.”