The artistry behind gallery night
May 1, 2018
As the National Art Honor Society’s charge states, “take of the world its colors and forms, its lines and textures, its balances and movements and spaces; combine all these into a beautiful statement of what it is to be human.”
National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is a selective organization which fosters more than 58,000 outstanding art students within the United States. On the night of April 27, more than 15 Homestead junior inductees became members of the society at the James Barr Auditorium lobby. These students received peer recognition and will gain leadership growth and college/career preparation throughout their time in the organization.
The vice president of NAHS, Olivia Herzog, senior, loves how the society has grown over the years under her leadership. Herzog explains that being a prominent voice in this organization has been very exciting; “this gallery night has really gotten off without a hitch; it’s really nice to see how we’ve gotten more participants and people excited over art.”
In addition to Olvia’s perspective on the show, Homestead art teacher and NAHS advisor, Mrs. Katie Nowak, is proud of the commitment from the NAHS members. Nowak has taken a real joy watching her students take ownership of the society; “they put up the entire show and gathered the awards for this year’s participants. They did a wonderful job just making it look professional.”
At the awards ceremony, three awards were given by the NAHS officers and three from the Visual Arts Department. Further, winners were chosen by the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design president Jeff Morin, a nationally recognized artist. One of the Homestead student award winners, Emilie Gerdisch, junior, won third place overall by the Milwaukee Institute of Art. Emilie was surprised at the recognition: “I was honored to receive the award for third place. I didn’t expect it at all,” Gerdisch said.
Overall, these gallery nights are prime moments for Homestead artists. Gaining recognition by family, friends and prominent people in the art community can truly make a difference in an artist’s life.
