Boise High is known for many great things: sports, academia, school pride, and of course, the arts. We have all kinds of different art classes for all different levels of experience. The students in AP Art are some of the most talented artists we have in our school. Our publication is lucky enough to feature one of the AP Art students this month: Genevieve Weyhrich.
When talking to Genevieve about their featured piece they mention their AP Art portfolio and how this piece fits right into their theme. “The original idea was that your heart glows with hope, but this could also be translated into love and relationships.” They want their art to reflect how growing up takes a toll on a child’s sense of wonder about the world; the brutal realism we live in. We graduate from the sandbox to the classroom faster than we might think. They explain how the AP Art community is also a great tool to help them advance their artistic skills and how everyone is able to kindly critique each other’s work. This community is fostered by the students knowing that everyone is just trying to become a more sophisticated artist, not trying to tear each other down. They exclaim how unique that opportunity is to have a collaborative, non-toxic environment in high school. Adolecents are usually focused on self-growth rather than a more comprehensive community growth.
Genevieve is a self-taught artist and has only been taking art classes since their sophomore year at Boise High. They’ve tried out a lot of different mediums for their art, and other than painting, they’ve really enjoyed inking, or line art. Their favorite medium is painting, and they hope to venture into different kinds of paint as they grow as an artist.
They explain how art is a grounding method for them and how it “calms them down…to relax and focus on something,” which could be a useful tool for others around them as well. Using art as a tool to ground oneself is something many mental health professionals recommend. It can create a balance and sanctuary in a world full of chaos.
Looking forward, Genevieve hopes to go to college and study to become a veterinarian while getting a minor in art. Prospectively they are looking at schools in the pacific northwest like Seattle University.
They said that although they hope to continue pursuing art in the future, they want to do it on their own terms. Prints would be their preffered item to sell because of the ability to create them on a rather large scale. Selling creations as a side hustle might be in the cards for this artist as they continue their path to greatness. Keep your eyes peeled for their art at Boise High Art shows!
Thank you for your art Genevieve!
