Kara Carlson

“I have devoted my entire high school career to creating art pieces in an effort to make life just a bit more fun. From taking courses in ceramics, painting and drawing, I realized that my life could never be complete without art and a constant inquiry of, "What if?". How many new, artistic ideas can we think up, and how can we use them to change the world for the better? Over these past four years, I have completed thirteen studio art classes and five architectural & interior design classes. This Fall, I will be attending Endicott College to pursue Architectural and Interior Design.”

Isabella Spechuilli

“I fell in love with ceramics in my freshman year of high school. In the first hand-built ceramics class, I became obsessed with all the possibilities of the things I could make. After many classes, I knew that molding clay the way I wanted was my favorite art medium I had ever experienced. It was the most incredible way to express myself. I plan to continue creating ceramics, especially as I learn more about throwing on the wheel.”

Kay Rapaport

Kay Stewart Rapaport is an interdisciplinary artist who loves bookbinding, printmaking, and zines. They plan to double major with a BFA in Studio Art and a Bachelor's degree in Spanish. Common themes in their art include funky patterns, gender identity and expression, microorganisms, nature, and other nerdy things. Making zines is one of Kay's favorite ways to combine their interests with art that they can easily share with others.

Shaye McGrath

“Art is something that has always come naturally to me. Whether that be oil pastels or fiber arts, my youth was filled with exploration through different mediums. Art has been an outlet that allows me to express myself, no matter which form it takes. Now, I most often incorporate my creativity into baking and cake decoration. In the future, I plan to pursue a career in pastry arts and open my own bakery.”

Raegan MacDonald

“I fell in love with art at a very young age, thanks to my dad, who is an artist. His cartoonish style has always inspired me. My favorite mediums in art are mixed media and collage. I also love sewing and designing clothing and accessories, which is a skill I learned while working at The Drift Collective. I also enjoy creating sculptures and functional pieces in wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics. I'm attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa for fashion design and merchandising in the fall. My dream is to design fashion and art for my own business in the future!”

Madelyn Vosgien

“Art has always been a big part of my life; my mom is an artist, and she lets it flow throughout our house constantly. If something was too boring for my liking, she would paint it and make it the perfect amount of "Extra" my younger self always needed. My favorite mediums are acrylic painting (with mixed media involved) and clay. I plan on continuing art, not as a degree but as a passion. I'll be going to college for engineering this fall. Without art, I wouldn't have found my love for learning. Balance is important."

Margaret Callahan

"For as long as I can remember, art has always been a part of who I am. I’ve worked with many different mediums over the years, from pencils, to paint, to digital art, and most recently photo and video. My favorite part about art is that I get to create so much for others, whether it’s for athletes, friends, family, or our community, I get to create things that mean something to more than just myself. I didn’t decide until recently that I wanted to pursue art after high school, but I’m very excited to see where it takes me. I’ll be attending UConn to major in Digital Media and Design."

Naveesha Patel

“I started to fall in love with art during my last two years in high school. I started with sculptures and made my way to ceramics. It has been a journey working with clay and learning how it works through making different pieces. My senior year I took 3 ceramic classes and each class I learned more and more. I plan on carrying my knowledge into college at College of Charleston and hopefully have my own ceramics business. I’ll always love ceramics and I’m excited to carry it with me!"

Serenity Caraballo

“I've always had a deep interest in art growing up but never got serious about it until around my freshman year. I found that even though I loved art deeply I was unable to create what I wanted so I studied for hours on end over the years. I find myself exploring all mediums of art both traditional and digital. I'm currently trying to expand my style beyond my attempts at realism and maybe soon push more into creating personal works. Due to uncertainties in how I want to continue with creating art, it'll remain as just a simple passion and an outlet for my creativity."

Boston Brindamour

“I’ve loved making art since I was young. I mostly do illustrations and paintings, but I have also done some ceramics work while at PHS. I am inspired by cartoons, video games, and movies. I am going to go to Maine College of Art and Design, and when I am older, I plan to be a concept artist."

Gloria Chau

“Drawing has been my most consistent passion throughout my life, often inspired by music, movies, shows, books, and even other people. It wasn't until high school that my art really started leaving the confines of my sketchbook. Before then, most of my art was based around the stories and characters I'd write about. While I still love using illustration as a medium for fictional storytelling, I've started using it more to share my own personal narrative. Art has not just given me an avenue for self-expression; it's helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself."

Fionnuala Hansen

“I love working with graphite and clay because they let me explore ideas in different, creative ways. Graphite captures the details and shades, while clay lets me shape and feel my work in three dimensions. Together, they let me balance precision with hands-on creativity. In the future I hope to pursue a career that allows me to express myself creatively."

Madeline Tauber

“I have been making art since I was very little and I enjoy all kinds of mediums. I create art because it makes me happy, and I always try to keep it as authentically “me” as possible. I draw inspiration from my personal interests and I like to include some aspect of fantasy in most things I create."

Luciana DiMeco

“I found my love for art in Elementary school at New Franklin. I would use any and all art supplies I could find in my home, but eventually I found that painting was my favorite. I use gouache, acrylic, and oil the most, but I love to draw and fill up sketchbook after sketchbook. I've taken numerous art classes in the past, but I'm mainly self-taught. Most of my work is mixed media, diverse in style. In the future, my goal is to be an Elementary School Art Teacher in the same kind of classroom where I first found my love of art."