North Springs Magnet Art Exhibit Opens At Architecture Firm

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- 15 North Springs Advanced Placement Art Magnet students were celebrated at a reception for their Building Communities art exhibit recently installed at the Sandy Springs office of Goodwyn Mills Cawood, one of the region’s largest privately-held architecture and engineering firms.

"We are so happy to welcome you here tonight," said Architecture Vice President Amy Bell as she kicked off the reception held Nov. 8 for students, parents, employees and guests. "Your artwork is amazing. Hopefully some of you will be inspired to become architects, engineers, or graphic designers – they’re all part of our team and we’re always looking for talent."

Jim Teel, vice president of the Atlanta office, echoed Bell's comments, adding that the students exceeded the company's expectations.

"We are more than an architecture or engineering firm," he said. "We are about building communities. That is our brand and you nailed it."

Teel thanked North Springs art teacher Lauren Dellaria for responding to the firm’s invitation and for her students’ impressive paintings and drawings. Dellaria, North Springs' teacher of the year, shared that her students had created their pieces by responding to the prompt – Building a Community. After she received their pieces she decided to ask them to write about what inspired them.

“I was so impressed that after reading their narratives, I decided to add them to the exhibit," she said. "We’re very grateful to GMC for this opportunity.”

The students were impressed too - enjoying the food, the professional work space, seeing their work exhibited, networking with professionals in their fields of interest and having the opportunity to play corn hole and write and draw on glass walls. Bell invited the students and guests to share their thoughts with the GMC team by writing directly on the office’s glass walls – just as GMC had already done to express their appreciation and enthusiasm for the students’ work.

"I had a great time at the show at GMC," said North Springs senior Keoni McKeever. "The environment was very welcoming and I enjoyed playing a few games of corn hole and putt putt. I am very grateful they asked for our work to be in their building. If I had had my resume on hand, I would have applied for a job. Overall it was a 10/10 experience. Thanks to Ms. Dellaria and the GMC team."

The school's Champlin Art Gallery will host an opening reception for their 2017 student holiday art show from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 as part of the Discover North Springs Open House.

Photo 1: Architecture VP Amy Bell, North Springs senior Sophia Garrett and her mother Roberta Garrett, discuss Garrett's work: two hands gripping each other- being painted by diverse groups of people -connecting two buildings together and "demonstrating that when we all come and work together, we create a vibrant, thriving community."

Photo 2: North Springs art magnet students: Genesis Davis, Peyton Jackson, Eleanor Hopkins, Keoni McKeever, Abby Kemp, Helen Berns, Claudia Chu, Capella Edwards, Jancarla Pompei, Sophia Garrett, Brittany Johnson and AP Art teacher Lauren Dellaria (2nd from left) at the reception in their honor at GMC.

Photo 3: Keoni McKeever, Eleanor Hopkins, Sophia and Roberta Garrett write their thoughts on the glass walls at GMC.

Photo 4: North Springs art students and teacher Lauren Dellaria in front of GMC's Building Communities brand with (far left) Jim Teel, VP of GMC's Atlanta office and Amy Bell (far right) VP of Architecture. Students l-r: Genesis Davis, Brittany Johnson, Abby Kemp, Helen Berns, Claudia Chu, Eleanor Hopkins, Keoni McKeever, Sophia Garrett, Peyton Jackson and Capella Edwards

Photo credits: North Springs Charter High School