Perpich News
Perpich Arts High School Studio Arts Department Presents: “Palindrome: Do Geese See God?” Exhibition
September 13, 2024
Perpich Studio Arts students opened their first exhibition of the 2024-2025 school year on Thursday, September 12th, 2024. The exhibition is showing in the Perpich galleries through October 18, 2024.
Titled “Palindrome: Do Geese See God?”, the show features artwork created over the summer by Perpich Visual Arts and Media Arts students in response to various prompts covering themes of inner and outer self portraiture, how the student feels about their future, journaling, and memory. In addition to work on the gallery walls, there were also two media screenings in the Performance Hall. The Dance department participated with site-specific performances. Studio Arts students created the artwork, wrote artist statements, and prepared all aspects of presenting the physical exhibition.
Kathryn D’Elia, Visual Arts Instructor and Studio Arts Chair, said, “Our first exhibition, showcasing summer projects sets the tone for the year. It gives our students and families an idea of what it means to show work at Perpich, and it becomes the base that we compare to as our shows get better and better. I am proud of the work the students created and am thrilled with the amount of family support shown in attendance last night. I love opportunities for different arts areas to exhibit work together. The student-choreographed dance performance exploring identity was a beautiful addition to our studio art gallery opening, exploring how themes can transcend mediums.”

A piece by Jamie Davis (Visual Arts 2026)
Jamie Davis (Visual Arts 2026) is new to the Perpich exhibition process as a Junior. “It was an extremely fun and informative process to be able to set up my own work and view everyone else’s,” said Jamie.

Sylvie Martin (Visual Arts 2025) exhibited this dress titled “The Dragonfly”
Sylvie Martin (Visual Arts 2025) returns to Perpich this year as a Senior. “I love being part of the exhibitions because it gives me a chance to present my art in a meaningful way. For this gallery I really tried to push myself and do something I have never done before and I think it turned out great,” said Sylvie.
Mary Harding, Dance Instructor, explained the process that the Dance students used. “The Dance students created dance solos based on self portrait, identity, and memory to present at the gallery opening. They started with the children’s book ‘Where We Come From’ by Diane Wilson, Sun Yung Shin, Shannon Gibney, and John Coy. They then began to create movement phrases based on the meaning of their name, identity, legacy, and images from the book. A specific image was an illustration of figures carrying suitcases with the topography of their destination imprinted on the suitcases. This image inspired the use of suitcases as a prop and metaphor. After this gathering of ideas, they began to create a seed of a movement. Students continued the choreographic process, revising and refining, sharing music possibilities, and reflecting on their inspiration choices. They started the rehearsal process by collaboratively deciding spacing, transitions, and music choices. The dancers successfully performed their work at the opening and will continue to work on this project. Look forward to our full concert in December!”

Studio Arts students and instructors gather on the Perpich campus prior to their exhibition opening on September 12, 2024
Rebecca Bullen, Perpich Arts High School Principal, reflected on the experience in the school newsletter. “It was amazing to be in the presence of so much creativity and care. Families, friends, students from all arts areas, and staff brought energy to the already beaming spaces. I heard gratitude for opportunities, guardians grateful for the access and the growth they were already seeing in their young artists, while students celebrated their success in the first experience in sharing their artistic voices this school year or, for some, ever. I left the night so proud of our community,” said Rebecca.
In the exhibition statement, the students said, “No really, do geese see god? Our art show combines artworks from new students looking forward into the future and returning students reflecting backward. From whichever direction you come from, it’ll still read the same in the Palindrome art exhibit. New students created artworks reflecting on both how they see themselves and how others view them, while returning students were assigned to create a piece centered around memories looking back on the past.”
Congratulations to all the students, and their instructors, on a wonderful evening!