Addison Trail students meet with artists during Addison Center for the Arts exhibit

Left: Local artist Bill Austin (right) speaks with Addison Trail sophomore Luis Acevedo on March 16, when a group of Addison Trail art students attended the closing reception of the Addison Center for the Arts “Open Symbolism” exhibit. Austin’s work was featured in that exhibit, along with artists Joe Eddy Brown, Gary Brown, Anton Witek and Rena Church. Also pictured are (from left) sophomore Jackeline Murillo, sophomore Paola Rebollo, senior Jacob Moss, freshman Diana Ibarra and senior Brandon Zirkle. Photo provided by Addison Center for the Arts

Right: Local artist Joe Eddy Brown speaks with a group of Addison Trail art students on March 16, when the students attended the closing reception of the Addison Center for the Arts (ACA) “Open Symbolism” exhibit. Brown’s work was featured in that exhibit, along with artists Bill Austin, Gary Brown, Anton Witek and Rena Church.

On March 16, 30 Addison Trail students had the opportunity to meet and speak with local artists during a visit to Addison Center for the Arts (ACA), a gallery located inside the school.

The students – who are enrolled in Introduction to 3-D Art, Introduction to 3-D Art Honors and Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level Studio Art with Addison Trail art teacher Maria Ramon – attended the closing reception of ACA’s “Open Symbolism” exhibit. Artists Joe Eddy Brown and Bill Austin were on hand to answer student questions about how they get their inspiration, their education background, how they select which materials to use and more. This exhibit was of particular interest to the Introduction to 3-D Art students, who will soon create found object sculptures in class, similar to those displayed during the show.

“I take my art students to every exhibit in the gallery, but this one directly ties into our unit,” Ramon said. “They previewed the show, prepared questions and then viewed the pieces again with the artists. It was a valuable opportunity to connect what they are learning with real-world artists and ask questions about the artistic process. We are so grateful to have this rich resource in our community!”

Along with Brown and Austin, “Open Symbolism” also highlighted the talents of Gary Brown, Anton Witek and Rena Church. The eclectic group of five artists relates its collaboration to a pentaprism – reflecting an array of ideas and light in constant deviation. The varied styles and viewpoints of the artists are as diverse as the materials they use and the passions the works portray. As the group expresses, “We don’t paint the standard portrait, common landscape or a simple bowl of fruit. We push boundaries and break new ground – taking things and putting them into a new context.”

For more information about ACA, go to www.addisoncenterforthearts.com.