With over 400 works of art contributed by nearly 200 students from 24 different countries, Clonlara School’s Global Art Show in March wowed an international audience, making school history as our largest art show to date!
Hosted by Clonlara’s Director of Education April Huard on Zoom, the virtual event welcomed nearly 140 families who tuned in from multiple time zones.
In her opening remarks, April reminded the audience that Clonlara values creativity and appreciates that art can be a source of joy, comfort, and hope—especially when times may seem unsettling. “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before,” said April, quoting British author Neil Gaiman. “And students, that’s exactly what you’ve done today! You’ve made the world brighter for all of us by creating artwork, and we thank you for that!”
Divided into five separate galleries, student submissions included a wide range of techniques using a variety of traditional material including acrylic paint, crayon, pencil, and watercolor on paper and canvas, as well as unconventional media such as articles of clothing, repurposed bookshelves, and even reclaimed junk! Students inspired us with paintings, photographs, sketches, digital artistry, painted rocks, pottery, papier-mâché, and forged metal.
To the tune of light background music, attendees enjoyed each exhibit pausing between galleries to discuss how the art made them feel, which artists inspire their work, and what type of artwork is their favorite to create.
Topping off the event, three students shared some of their favorite selections along with their inspiration, creative process, and future aspirations.
- Ten-year-old Diego from Portugal explained how, when creating art “I am inspired by my life: the things I like, the things I see, the things I do. Also, Clonlara Art Club and my teacher, Tanya, inspire me.” Encouraged in Art Club to challenge himself by trying new techniques and mediums, Diego’s preferred method is colored pencils because they are “easy, simple, and I can pick my pencils up and start. If I have my pencils, I can do art anywhere!”
- Mara, a senior from Portugal who hopes to one day teach art, explained in two words her recipe for successful artistic growth: time and passion. Mastery of a skill will not happen overnight. “Give yourself the time you need to learn and evolve and grow,” she said.
- Sixteen-year-old Serena from the United States described art as “a way to express my love and connection to the natural world.” Although some of her favorite techniques have included charcoal, colored pencil, and acrylics, she is currently focused on nature photography. “Looking through my macro lens, I can enter an entirely different world where insects rule the earth. Through my camera I can discover this other world and become part of it even if only for a short period of time.”
Now, we invite you to “step into” the galleries of Clonlara’s Global Art Show. Whether enjoying the exhibits again or dropping in for the first time, we hope you leave feeling that the world is just a little brighter.
Digital Art
Drawing
3D & Mixed Media
Painting
Photography
Did you enjoy show? If you have a message for our talented artists or other comments about this event, please share them below.
