The Art Club put up the Diversity and Identity art gallery in the library last week. Highlighting artists around campus, it is now available for viewing until the end of December.  

The gallery is the second in a series of monthly galleries hosted by Art Club to be locked in a glass cabinet to protect the art. Galleries are placed in the case to protect from vandalism, a notable problem in the past.

“I noticed students viewing the art quite a bit, soaking in what other students have done. I feel that, quite honestly, the artwork that was out on display on the shelves had a greater impact because more students were able to view it and interact with it,” said AVHS Librarian Erik Scherer.

The gallery was created to bring the Amador community together by celebrating the differences that make each person unique. 

“We want to inspire people, and we want to showcase the ideas and creativity of artists on campus,” said Art Club Vice President Melissa Chen (‘23).

Art Club officers promoted and organized the gallery, but it was the members in the club who voted for the topic of diversity and identity from a list of themes. The topic helped artists share their own personal stories.

“I think what inspired me was my identity as an Asian American. Growing up, I lived in China for five years, and then I moved here, and I was confused about who I [wanted] to be. And then I realized that you can embrace both sides of you,” said Art Club Secretary Cathy Gao (‘25).

Similar to the other two galleries, the December gallery only features visual art, such as digital prints and canvas oil paintings. 

“I usually express [identity and diversity] through art because I’ve been drawing since a young age. I’ve only known art, and I feel like I can kind of explore my emotions best with colors and drawing and whatnot. I also play the flute, and I love expressing my emotions through the music that I play,” said Gao.

Many of the works of art in the gallery feature images and topics from the artist’s cultural background and family history.

“[Diversity and identity] just represents the different walks of life that we have. I think that encompasses not only different types of families, but also different experiences and backgrounds,” said Scherer.

Some artists use the theme to challenge their cultural background while others use it to celebrate. 

“I think [diversity and identity is important] because identity is literally who you are. So being able to embrace who you are is a big part of living because you are happy with yourself and you love yourself,” said Gao.

Although the art gallery is now set up, anyone, whether part of Art Club or not, is still encouraged to submit to the gallery. With a total of seven pieces, it is currently the smallest gallery of the year but continues to grow.

“We would also really love more submissions from anyone, like artists of any kind, whether you are just starting off, or you’ve been doing art for a while, because we would really love to see more diversity in our art gallery as well,” said Chen.