2023 MAEA Recognitions Exhibit

Organization or School Affiliation: Norwood High School

Student Name: Christine Picpican
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: I found inspiration to make this piece by seeing pictures of everyday items having a fun spin on them, so I decided to make a mug that replicates an animal. I am proud of the glazing on this piece because I took my time with it, and it came out of the kiln opaque.
Teacher: Elizabeth Mullaney

Organization or School Affiliation: Fontbonne the Early College of Boston

Student Name: Alix Abelard
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: High school is a time when a person shows the most growth and change. I chose to highlight this personal growth through the lockers in my school hallway. I added the paper butterflies to showcase the growth from a young caterpillar to a fully developed butterfly. I did this painting using acrylics to showcase the bright colors on the butterflies.
Teacher: Nicole Robertson

Organization or School Affiliation: Fontbonne the Early College of Boston

Student Name: Dianais Rivera
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: Importance of culture is a piece that highlights the importance of reflecting our cultures proudly to the outside world. I chose to focus on Mexico by creating a crown of cosmos a native flower to Mexico encircling a skull in the style of Frida Kahlo. I drew the skull in graphite and painted the flowers and background in acrylic.
Teacher: Nicole Robertson

Organization or School Affiliation: Fontbonne the Early College of Boston

Student Name: Dianelis Rivera
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: This piece focuses on the emotion of numbness. This is a self portrait, while you can see I do not have a face in this piece nor do I have facial expression. I chose to show the emotion of numbness by removing the face. The placement of the chin lying on the hand also expresses disinterest. I used graphite pencil to create the hair, clothing, hands and I also used black watercolor for the face.
Teacher: Nicole Robertson

Organization or School Affiliation: Waltham

Student Name: Alma Rosado
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: This piece is about my transition from China to the US and the various setbacks I faced from the language and cultural differences. Wanting to fit in and to be more American led me to consequently leave and lose a piece of myself- and that was my language. The vibrancy from the right represents the richness of my culture. The grayscale represents the conformed, American side, almost invisible.
Teacher: Kathleen Flynn

Organization or School Affiliation: Waltham

Student Name: Kelly Borrayo Hernandez
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: My grandmother passed away in 2022. She worked long shifts as a tailor in Guatemala. A single mother of three, my Mamita did what she could to make ends meet. Over time, her hands hardened from years of working, and yet she was a loving, determined and devoted person. She always finished what she started. I’m comforted by the memories of the times we shared together.
Teacher: Kathleen Flynn

Organization or School Affiliation: Waltham

Student Name: Maria Montoya Payes
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: My drawing shows the stages of grief with facial expressions and color. I was inspired by the Instagram artist, iavagado6_jp, how they use symbolism & expression in their art, which I tried to imitate in my piece. I challenged myself with capturing facial expressions, which is out of my comfort zone. The blending and separation between each stage or person clearly shows the feelings of each.
Teacher: Kathleen Flynn

Organization or School Affiliation: Weston high school

Student Name: Magnus Starrett
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: Banned books are often banned because they contain subject matter that makes readers uncomfortable, like how biting into a lemon makes someone grimace. However banning these books can often attract attention towards the issues they present, making them more powerful and infamous. More importantly, being uncomfortable is what encourages personal growth, it’s a necessity for progress.
Teacher: Julie Hom-Mandell

Organization or School Affiliation: Weston high school

Student Name: Rosa Whitmore
Grade: Grade 10
Artist Statement: In “Time is running out” I discuss the devastating and positive impacts of climate change if we act now or if we let ourselves continue to ignore climate change. An hourglass symbolizes the importance of how little time we have to alter our behavior to save the planet.
Teacher: Julie Hom-Mandell

Organization or School Affiliation: Weston high school

Student Name: Claire Kakabeeke
Grade: Grade 10
Artist Statement: With the prompt “Human Condition in Charcoal” I decided to illustrate three images that depict the progression of a person falling with the perspective that shifts wider. I wanted this to display how each point of view reflects a different interpretation of a situation.
Teacher: Julie Hom-Mandell

Organization or School Affiliation: Waltham

Student Name: Taylor Polk
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: I created this digital painting with Photoshop on my drawing tablet from a photo I had taken while I was on a train home from boston. I wanted to add more than just the train so I took inspiration from the fox plushie I’d bought while out in the city. I also added a skyline instead of the brick walls. Most of my work is inspired by my love of foxes and cats.
Teacher: Kathleen Flynn

Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Ainsley Norris
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: For this piece, I wanted to show a shattered sense of reality almost, as I stare at myself in the mirror. What stares back at me is my own creation, myself in my own interpretation.
Teacher: Rebecca Kostich

Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Isabella Meehan
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: “Characters” is a piece on the levels of diversity encountered as a child and its influence on our compassion as adults. The bright colors in this piece are meant to emphasize the uniqueness of each person, and the overlapping is meant to simultaneously connect each character. This piece was created using acrylic paint, micron pen and white gel pen.
Teacher: Rebecca Kostich

Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Juliet Halliday
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: In this piece I depicted a woman holding her face. I titled this piece “Adrenaline” because it is supposed to communicate the adrenaline rush and passion felt during a fight. The gradient grey-blue coloring on the left side of the face is intended to convey bruising or discoloration of the face, indicating that the woman is in the midst of a fight.
Teacher: Rebecca Kostich

Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Keons Sekera
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: This piece was made with a wheel-thrown vase, green glaze, and natural sediment. I wanted to combine bright and glossy glaze colors with the sand and dirt I’d been previously experimenting with. I wanted to capture some kind of movement in how the sand reacted to the flow of the water.
Teacher: Rebecca Kostich

Organization or School Affiliation: Pembroke High School

Student Name: Katherine Wesinger
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: Remembering being with my mom, family tension and my dad's military upbringing. My family has shaped the person I am today. The work I make continues to explore these relationships and helps me to better understand myself and who I want to become.
Teacher: Jessica Lazarus

Organization or School Affiliation: Norwood High School

Student Name: Melissa Colella
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: This piece is a study of people as a holistic entity. The idea is that everyone is on their own path but meeting briefly as they pass each other. It insinuates people are connected through their experiences and humanity even strangers. The color scheme works as a tool to neutralize everyone’s individuality and rather look at people as pieces of a whole.
Teacher: Laurie Mead McGrory

Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Anouk Seelt
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: I made a self portrait, but not a regular one. I drew myself with sunflowers coming out of my head. The material I used is graphite, because I could add more detail to my work. Sunflowers have always been my favorite flowers and I have made more pieces that include sunflowers. Sunflowers are not as perfect as roses but that’s what makes them beautiful in a unique way.
Teacher: Rebecca Kostich

Organization or School Affiliation: Norwood High School

Student Name: Nevaeh Larose
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: I created this piece out of love and appreciation for my mom. It was to show her how much I love her. She loves my artwork and pushes me to do the best. This piece showcases how strong she is, how beautiful she is and displays the love, warmth and comfort I see when I look in her eyes everyday. She’s my #1 cheerleader and motivator to finish any art piece. In this piece my mother is my muse.
Teacher: Laurie Mead McGrory

Organization or School Affiliation: Norwood High School

Student Name: Amanda Scanlon
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: I made this portrait of my friend Jess because I thought that she should have something dedicated to her in return for all that she has helped me with over the years. Jess and I have been close since early middle school and I don’t think she gets enough credit for how good of a person she is. In this portrait I used bright colors, shades, and values as a way to show how I see and think of her.
Teacher: Laurie Mead McGrory