At the back of the La Jolla Historical Society’s gallery, an excited crowd of parents, teachers, and students circulated around a room filled with elaborate paintings and bright watercolors. A ring of tables displayed various art forms, from a herd of ceramic animals to a paper-mache sculpture. Students proudly pointed out their work to their friends and family. This singular exhibition room perfectly encapsulated Bishop’s middle school art community.

While 6th and 7th-grade art rotations had previously held individual showcases for student work, this year’s Middle School Art Show was the first-ever art exhibit open to the entire middle school. Tied around a central theme of “Everyday Color,” 39 middle school students submitted work they had created, both at school and independently, culminating in a stunning display.

Visual Arts Chair Ms. Elizabeth Wepsic explained, “We really wanted to have something really special just for middle school.” The Bishop’s Visual Arts Council (BVAC), Bishop’s parent group for the art department, helped coordinate the event with the nearby La Jolla Historical Society, whose gallery is located two blocks from campus. “It’s a landmark here in La Jolla, so it’s really an honor to have an exhibit happening there,” Ms. Wepsic remarked. 

Ms. Wepsic saw this event as “a very open call for art — anything and everything from anybody in middle school.” She strived to create this event to illuminate all the facets of Bishop’s middle school art program.

George Tan (‘31), a current 7th grader, submitted a watercolor painting of two giraffes, a mother and child. Titled Always Together, the painting depicted a sunset, with the giraffes’ silhouettes at the center. In his painting’s placard, George explained that he sought to emphasize “love, protection, and togetherness.” 

To do so, he incorporated warm reds and oranges to evoke a “warm and comforting atmosphere.” As he painted, he thought about the art’s symbolism. When asked about his artwork’s main message, he stated, “No one is ever truly alone. We always have people who care about us.”

A completely different, yet equally expressive, art piece sat on the other side of the room. A fruit bowl constructed out of papier-mâché was submitted by 6th grader Elle Ritter (‘32). The dark blue bowl sat on a checkered tablecloth, containing a variety of fruits. “I was looking for something inspiring that I see every day in my house,” Elle recalled, “and I realized that I always see a fruit bowl placed on the countertop.” 

Every weekend, she assembled layers of cardboard, newspaper, and balloons to achieve the different textures of each piece of fruit. After gluing on each carefully crafted layer, she worked on her “favorite part of the process”: painting on the finishing touches with acrylic. “Not everything in life is big,” she concluded, “Sometimes the little things stand out the most.”

Many members of the Bishop’s community came to the exhibition to check out all the students’ work. Enthusiastic parents took panoramic photos of the whole room. “Just having an art show that’s off campus for the students is really special,” said art teacher Ms. Emily Grenader. “It’s a really nice way for our students to tie in with the community and show their art.” 

Elias Odmann (‘29), another visitor, commented, “The artworks there were really cool. One that stood out to me in particular was one of an elephant. It was close-up and looked really unique and realistic.”

Ms. Lauren Lockhart, executive director of the La Jolla Historical Society, exclaimed, “We love any opportunity to partner with area schools!” Years ago, the Society’s gallery building used to be a school, so they were “happy to collaborate with [Bishop’s] and lift up young artists.”

This trailblazing art show will not be the only one of its kind. BVAC has already planned two more exhibitions in collaboration with the Historical Society: an Upper School Art Show themed around architecture, and a Ceramics Exhibition led by ceramics teacher Mr. Jeremy Gercke.

At the end of the day, the art show’s diversity was a key highlight. Ms. Wepsic noted that her favorite part about the event was that “Nothing is alike, because no two people are alike.” Through the unique backgrounds of all the students and their work, along with the messages they tried to demonstrate, it is clear that, in Ms. Wepsic’s words, “you can get to know the students a little bit better just by looking at their art.”