Chilliwack high school students ‘Reboot’ with district-wide ART33 exhibition

Art students and teachers in Chilliwack have been waiting four years for the district-wide high school art exhibition to make a comeback, and that day has finally come.

May 3 marked the opening day of ART33, a month-long show made up entirely of work by high school art students.

They’re calling the 2023 show Reboot, and it’s at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre from May 3 to June 3.

“It’s an exciting, vibrant show,” said Sardis Secondary School teacher Sandra Wiens, one of the organizers.

She admits it’s a huge endeavour to put the show together. This year, four schools will have artwork in ART33: Chilliwack Secondary School (CSS), Sardis Secondary School (SSS), G.W. Graham (GWG) and Kw’íyeqel.

GWG teacher Khaila Piorecky said her students can’t wait to see their artwork hung alongside work by other students from rival schools.

“My students are jittering with excitement around seeing their pieces in the greater community,” Piorecky said.

ART33 started more than 35 years ago but, due to COVID, the last time it was on display was in 2019. Wiens believes it was the first time there has ever been a break in the show.

Now, the teens are ready to show the public their talents.

“They are chomping at the bit,” Piorecky said.

One of her students is Sophia Kim.

“She’s very humble… but she is a star,” Piorecky said, adding that Kim has been accepted into Emily Carr. “She’s going places. This is going to be her life… showing her work and being an artist.”

Kim’s one painting in the show explores her path of identity.

“I was born here in Canada, so I kind of lost touch with my Korean side,” Kim said.

There are a lot of different hidden metaphors and messages, she explains about the piece which includes traditional makeup that women wear with formal attire, plus Korean masks worn in theatre performances.

“The eyes around the piece represent how people perceive me.”

She said some people see her as “just a Korean person” while Korean people might say “‘Oh, she’s not actually Korean’ because I’m so different and separate from their culture.”

Kim has been painting for as long as she can remember and recalls taking watercolour classes at the age of six. She said her favourite part about being an artist is seeing and experiencing growth.

“I love learning and trying to see how far I’ve come and try to go beyond.”

A mixed-media piece by CSS student Natanya Mohanraj is about her ‘Ammachi’ (grandmother) and her Indian heritage.

“It’s about when she used to take care of me when I was little… reminiscing on those times and all that she taught me and how much I learned from her,” Mohanraj said.

She painted a boat, plantain chips, strawberries, paisley patterns and more on the canvas.

“She loves to talk about these times,” she said, adding that her Ammachi “immersed” her in her Indian heritage.

Mohanraj used double exposure photography in her piece. Wanting to add happier emotions to her work, she included watercolour, collage, plus salt and alcohol to make different textures.

She is in multiple art classes and has “quite strong” work, said teacher Kaima Bazaar. Mohanraj has already done several Grade 12 level courses and is doing independent-directed studies where she chooses what projects and themes to work on.

Kw’íyeqel Grade 12 student Keneisha David will have two photographs in ART33 Reboot.

She picked up a camera after being inspired by her mom who used to do photography when David was a kid. Later, David’s grandmother let her borrow her digital camera. That was about two years ago.

She has been accepted to the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna where she will take the professional photography diploma program.

David likes nature photography the best.

“It’s nice to be outdoors and show people what there is out there,” David said.

Genevieve Engelbrecht, a Grade 11 SSS student, is also part of the show.

Teacher Sandra Wiens said Engelbrecht is a “multi-level thinker.”

“Genevieve is a very well-rounded student. She is an exemplary draftsperson, so very detailed, imaginative drawings. She is a really good leader,” Wiens said. “(She is) really great at taking constructive feedback and working ideas and adding to them.”

One of her pieces in the show is a ceramic robot head. Turn it around and you’ll see the head is open at the back with all the mechanical parts visible that make up its ‘brain.’

It being the first time working with clay, she did things a little bit backwards.

After Engelbrecht assembled the sides of the head, she then stuck all the clay wires and tubes making up the robot’s computer system into it. The inside of the robot’s head is just barely big enough for her hand to fit in.

“(It) proved to be very difficult trying to fit everything in there.”

Genevieve Engelbrecht, Keneisha David, Natanya Mohanraj and Sophia Kim are just four of many students who will have work in ART33. For all of them, it is their first time having their work on display for the public to see.

Wiens figures there will be a few hundred pieces in the show – they have 100 frames and each one will have more than one piece of artwork in it.

“I think this represents what the youth in our community are doing and thinking about,” Wiens said. “If you want to see in the mind of a young person, I think you will see what’s important to them.”

ART33 will also include work by former students since organizers invited alumni to join.

“Just to remind people that there’s three years of students who didn’t get to show their work,” Wiens said.

ART33 Reboot is in the O’Connor Group Art Gallery at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre from May 3 to June 3. The opening reception is Saturday, May 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Admission is free.

Looking for more events taking place in and around Chilliwack? Check out What’s happening Chilliwack in our community section