The Centreville High School art department hosted its annual Centreville Pyramid Art Show on Wednesday, April 19th, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Artwork was submitted by students whose schools fell in the district, including Liberty Middle School, Bull Run Elementary School, Centre Ridge Elementary School, Centreville Elementary School, Colin Powell Elementary School, Union Mill Elementary School, and of course, our very own Centreville High School.

For the past two years, the show has been held virtually due to COVID-19, making this year’s art show the first in-person show for many students and all the more special. The pyramid art show is hosted every spring by Centreville’s art teachers. This year, Ms. Jenkins, Mr. Killinger, Mrs. Gibson, and Mrs. Schaffer took the lead. They organized everything from event technicalities to setting up the artwork displayed.

Many of the works lining the atrium were those of the studio art and ceramics students. However, one of the most eye-catching aspects of the show was the special row of senior-curated boards that exhibited our graduating seniors’ most prized pieces. Each display was unique in its vision and style, allowing for a diversified show. They were personified and compelling reflections of the individual artist. A good majority of the show’s visitors were supportive friends and family members of our seniors.

Three sophomores, who were reported by anonymous sources to be Ms. Jenkins’ favorite students, shared personal anecdotes about their pieces and the process that went into selecting them. Student Julia DeVera put lots of thought and effort into the proportioning of her piece by dividing it up into a grid to work on it section by section and utilizing her reference picture for each segment. The assignment guidelines were to use a self-portrait and incorporate depth to show perspective.

“For mine, I tried to include a lot of stuff I enjoyed — you can see music and movies in the back. I showed myself in action by taking a photo of my figure first and then creating the background on my own,” shared Victor Cortijo Lopez. “Something Ms. Jenkins really pushed for was shading, so for my piece I had to go over it a lot to really get a dark color and blend them in.”

Kaila Le explained that she tried to veer away from the art concepts she typically utilized by centering her piece around the element of surrealism. She also assimilated personal details by adding books to represent her love of reading. When asked about the show in general, she answered, “The whole thing is pretty cool. You get to see all different kinds of artwork, regardless of what grade you’re in.”

From an outside perspective, it seems like an artist’s job is never done. Overall, the students regarded the show as a rewarding experience. DeVera expressed, “It’s a great opportunity for everyone to show off stuff they put a lot of time into. I’m just really proud of everyone!”

For a handful of students, the show was an amazing, almost-conclusive project for this school year that allowed the remainder of the student body to get a peek at the talents and skills of the art department. It’s no wonder the event went off without a hitch as part of an established community tradition!