While AV’s leadership program has had to postpone many events, like homecoming week, they’ve been able to plan others virtually. This week they hosted their annual Art and MuSICK Festival to showcase the talents of our very own AV students. 

In a normal year, this event would be held in person, where people could display their art and perform for an audience. This year they instead set up a website to display students’ talents which they promoted all over social media.

“I found out about the Art and MuSICK festival through an email that Leadership sent out.

I wanted to participate because I like singing and I also like editing in harmonies/other parts,” said singer Saesha Sharda (‘24).

Because staff and students are away from campus, leadership publicized this event through many platforms to encourage participation. 

“I found out about the festival from my physics teacher as a class announcement because I follow none of the school’s social media accounts despite the school begging me many times to,” said artist Yumeng He (‘22).

Leadership first introduced this event in 2019 and was looking forward to bringing it back this year. However, they couldn’t replicate the festival from last year, as COVID-19 restrictions limited their capabilities.

“[Last year] we had popup tents on the quad and a stage for musical performers at lunch. Naturally I hoped we’d be able to do something similar to how it’s been done in the past. Unfortunately due to restrictions put in place by the county and school district, an in person event wasn’t possible. However, I’m glad that we were still able to give a platform for students to express themselves,” said ASB task leader Noah Marek (‘21).

Regardless of not being able to put on an in-person event for students to perform or display their art and for others to watch and enjoy, artists and musicians alike were thrilled to have this opportunity. 

“Art and music is a great medium for students to connect and enjoy while taking a break from online learning!” said artist Amy Wang (‘21).

Students in all grades were eager to share their talents, albeit only on a website. Looking for the positives in any situation is all there is to do sometimes.

“I want to create positivity on our campus; to encourage everyone to continue creating and connecting despite COVID. To be hopeful, happy, and supportive to one another,” said musician and artist Niko Macario (‘24). 

Any opportunity is a great opportunity for these students who have been working on their talents for years. For a lot of students, these are only hobbies, so it’s fun for them to show off their work. 

“I’ve been taking drawing seriously since I was 11 and will probably continue to do so only as a monetizable hobby. I post all of my finished artwork–colored/rendered or clean sketches–on Instagram and sometimes on Twitter. I’ve also recently started uploading speedpaints and animatics on Youtube,” said He.

This is a common theme among these musically and artistically talented students, posting their crafts on social media, that is. It’s an easy way for artists and musicians to promote their work to a broader audience.  

“Occasionally, I post my artwork on my private instagram @amy_w1491, and my photography on my public instagram @lemonvieca. I also plan on starting an art blog once I’m more free,” said Wang.

Leadership ultimately went the extra mile for these students so that their creations could be enjoyed by all. Transitioning to an online platform can be tricky, as with any event, but they were determined. 

“I almost always think that moving events to online lose most of their charm and I do think that applies to a certain extent to this event. However, the nice thing about this website is that this “festival” can keep going indefinitely as more students submit artwork,” said Marek.

Their plan is to keep the website active all year long and to encourage students to continue submitting their work. The website is public for everyone to explore and appreciate. 

“I love the submissions to the Art and MuSICK Festival!  Seeing the students’ drawings and paintings and crafts and hearing their musical performances reminded me that our students are much more than tiles on a screen in a Zoom meeting.  I encourage everyone to check out the website and be reminded of what a vibrant, talented, and inspirational community of students we have at Amador,” said AV teacher Matthew Kelly.

Make sure to check out the website to view students’ drawings, paintings, singing, and much more!