aOn April 26, seven McNicholas AP Photography students had the opportunity to display their artwork at the Cincinnati Public Library through the Artists Reaching Classrooms (ARC) program sponsored by the Taft Art Museum. McNicholas was one of only eleven local high schools represented.
The ARC program brings professional artists into schools to talk to students about different careers in the arts. Art students visited the Taft Art Museum twice during the year and visited an artist’s studio. The goal at the end of the program is to create an art piece and an artist’s statement that connects to the Taft’s collection or a visiting artist. Seven McNick art pieces were submitted for the program and will be on display at the Cincinnati Public Library downtown through May 18.
The seven students whose works are on display are seniors Avery Dietz, Amy Farr, Lily Gephardt, Jaclyn Geygan, Hailey Lau, Matt Shipp, and Mackenzie Wagner.
One student from each of the eleven high schools won a $200 Amazon gift card for their artwork. From McNick’s entries, Shipp’s untitled photograph won the prize. “I was honored to receive the award and to represent McNicholas at the ceremony,” Shipp said.
Through the ARC program, Dietz saw the different career outlets for artists. “Seeing the different artists come to our school and show us their work, as well as us travelling to the studios, was encouraging because it showed that people are pursuing something they love and making a living doing it,” Dietz said. “It shows that careers in art are important and that it is a realistic goal to strive for a career in art.”
The McNicholas Milestone 