The 40th Annual CHS Student Art Show

Ren Collina can easily rattle off the names of all the art classes that Carmel High School offers: Studio Art, Mixed Media, Drawing & Painting, Ceramics, Photography, Graphics, AP Portfolio and AP Art History. 

She should know, she has taken most of them.  

“I took seven art classes in high school,” said Ren, a senior who is headed to Ithaca College in the fall to study theater production and design. “I was basically in the art rooms all day. It is such a welcoming place. It was a great community to be part of.”  

Ren was just one of 500 students whose work was displayed at the 40th Annual Carmel High School Student Art Show at Casey Hall in April.     

Ragnarock Jones, a senior who plans to attend Bard College and major in Art, stood by a display that showcased the variety of materials and perspectives she worked with. 

It was the first day of the show and a lot of seniors stopped by to see how it all turned out. The group were almost all planning on studying something art-related in college – theater design, graphic design, art conservation – and all credited the department at Carmel High School with developing their skills. 

“The A.P. class really helped me build a portfolio,” said Lilah Roldan, whose art was built around the theme of women and body image. “It helped you learn to develop a theme that you can present when you apply to college.”   

As the younger students filtered into Casey Hall, they lingered at the seniors’ displays and noted what they have to look forward to in their high school careers.