“Framed” & “Held Over Time” Alumni Exhibitions: Rediscovering the Stories Left Behind

June 1, 2026

A piece from the “Framed” Alumni Exhibition

Long after students have graduated and moved on to new places, careers, and creative pursuits, pieces of their artistic journey have remained at Perpich Arts High School. Pieces hanging quietly in hallways, tucked into storage rooms, or carefully preserved in forgotten corners of the building all connect to former students. Now, those works have been brought together in “Framed“, an exhibition that reconnects the school’s past with its present while inviting alumni to help tell the stories that have been waiting to be rediscovered.

Many of the artists behind the work are unknown. Some names have been lost to time, while others represent artists whose identities, practices, or relationships to their student work may have evolved over the years. Rather than attempting to fill in those gaps, “Framed“ embraces them, creating space for curiosity, reflection, and reconnection.

“Each piece represents a moment in time,” said Principal Rebecca Bullen. “We are curious about what came before, and what came after.”

The exhibition began with the online archiving efforts of alum Willow Bullen (Media Arts 2024), whose work documenting the collection sparked a larger vision. That vision took shape through Perpich’s Museum Studies class, where students became curators, researchers, designers, and storytellers, working alongside Rebecca Bullen and Spanish Instructor Sarah York to transform a collection of preserved artwork into a thoughtfully organized exhibition.

A piece from the “Framed” Alumni Exhibition

For many students, it was their first experience curating a gallery.

“I learned about how intentional the decisions are,” said Kaysa Kuhn (Visual Arts 2027). “It was really cool to experiment with different orders and to see it all set up on the walls.”

Every placement became a conversation. Without artist statements or complete records to guide them, students relied on color, composition, subject matter, and emotion to create relationships between works made years, or even decades, apart. The result is an exhibition that feels both carefully composed and wonderfully open-ended.

“It was fun to work through the planning process,” said Logan Moberg (Visual Arts 2026). “Everyone had different ideas, but we all came together and made one show.”

That collaborative spirit extended across artistic disciplines, as students from Media Arts, Visual Arts, Dance, and other programs debated layouts, experimented with groupings, and discovered how exhibition design can shape the way viewers experience art.

At the same time, the mystery surrounding many of the works became part of the exhibition’s appeal.

“I want viewers to know that we have no idea who made most of these pieces, or what their artist statement might have said,” said Oliver Nite (Visual Arts 2027). “All we had to work with in terms of organization was what we could see.”

For student Milo Crane (Media Arts 2026), that sense of the unknown became something worth preserving.

A piece from the “Framed” Alumni Exhibition

“I want them to know that we don’t know who made most of the pieces or why,” he said. “I guess I want it to kind of remain a mystery.”

That mystery inspired students to imagine the lives behind the artwork. Who created these pieces? What were they exploring as young artists? Where did their creative paths lead after Perpich?

“It feels like the art is a time capsule,” said Isobel Williamson (Visual Arts 2027). “I wonder about students that have graduated a lot. How did they spend their time at Perpich? Where are they now?”

For Carlo Sucero (Media Arts 2027), the exhibition serves as both remembrance and celebration. “All these works were left behind when the alumni students graduated,” he said. “This show is a way to commemorate them and Perpich.”

That invitation to reconnect extends beyond the walls of the Tony Basta Gallery. Alongside the in-person exhibition, an online companion gallery, “Held Over Time”, makes the collection accessible to alumni and families wherever they are. Visitors are encouraged to help identify artists, share memories, provide context, or simply reconnect with a piece they recognize. The exhibition also acknowledges that artists grow and change over time, welcoming updates to names, identities, stories, or requests to remove artwork, if desired.

For Rebecca Bullen, seeing the exhibition come to life has been the realization of a longstanding hope.

“This has been an incredibly meaningful process,” she said. “It’s something I have been thinking about and hoping to bring to life for years.”

Ultimately, “Framed” and “Held Over Time” are more than exhibitions of artwork. They are an exhibition of our community that honors the creative voices that have shaped Perpich over the years while reminding us that every work of art carries a story. Some stories are already known. Others are still waiting to be told.

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The Tony Basta Gallery is both a creative space and a lasting tribute to Tony Basta, a former Perpich Media Arts student. Tony left a meaningful mark on this community through his creativity, passion, and presence. Following his untimely passing, the gallery was named in his honor as a way to recognize his life, his artistic voice, and the impact he had on those around him. The Tony Basta Gallery carries forward his spirit and serves as a space where student work is celebrated and where young artists are given the opportunity to share their voices. In particular, Media Arts students have continued to engage with and shape this space through curating exhibitions and ensuring that the gallery remains active and centered in student experience. The Tony Basta Gallery is not only a place for exhibition; it is a living legacy, and one that honors Tony’s life by continuing to support and uplift the creative work of students for years to come.

Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2026, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., to see the “Framed” exhibition in person in the Tony Basta Gallery at Perpich Arts High School.

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Special thanks to Museum Studies students: Conroy Babb (Visual Arts 2026), Milo Crane (Media Arts 2026), Amanita Dahlin (Visual Arts 2027), Adrianna Dvorak (Dance 2027), Naomi Flavin (Visual Arts 2026), Mick Jaszewski (Music 2027), Kaysa Kuhn (Visual Arts 2027), Liam Kurth (Media Arts 2027), Logan Moberg (Visual Arts 2026), Oliver Nite (Visual Arts 2027), Carlo Sucero (Media Arts 2027), Isobel Williamson (Visual Arts 2027)