KENT ISLAND —Freshman Lucia Zaklin is Kent Island High’s (KIHS) Visual Arts “Teen of the Week”. Lucia’s Visual Arts teacher, Estelle Szczerba, says Lucia’s work is both “original and authentic.”
“Lucia combines subjects and mediums beyond the requirements of our Fundamentals of Art course,” explained Szczerba, adding that “Lucia also takes time outside of class to make projects extra well-crafted.” Lucia’s favorite piece of the semester, a sculpture of a longnose gar fish (pictured), will be displayed at the 2024 Annual Academy Art Museum Mid-Shore Student Art Exhibition.
In order to create the multi-leveled cardboard longnose gar fish sculpture, Szczerba explained that each piece had to be precisely cut, individually painted, and then each layer was assembled with hot glue. This will be one of three outstanding artworks Lucia plans to also enter into KIHS’s annual ArtScene.
According to Lucia, visual art is a new high school interest. “I like to make beautiful things to add beauty to what is around me, but I think art can also be used to express emotion.” Lucia went on to share the most important thing learned from art is “to be more observant, and to see and notice things differently than I normally would have.”
According to Szczerba, Lucia is anything but your typical freshman art student, and says the biggest challenge when teaching entry level art courses is getting students out of their comfort zones, to try new ideas and explore the materials.
“Lucia is always asking to do things differently than how I explain them, and I encourage that! Because, to me, that is really what art is all about. Creating a work of art is its own journey, and everyone should do it a little differently. To do it well you have to take risks, and think and solve problems. This just comes naturally to Lucia and it is what makes their work so good.”
Lucia hopes to continue taking art classes throughout high school, particularly 3-D Studio Art, continuing working with their current favorite medium—cardboard, while also experimenting with new mediums, such as assemblage and found object sculptures. We look forward to seeing Lucia’s incredible art pieces at the Academy Art Museum, and at ArtScene KIHS on Thursday, April 25th!