Young artists showcase their talent
As featured in The Standard-Journal
By Jim Diehl
MILTON — Parents, family members, and teachers offered a show of support Wednesday as high school artists showcased their talents.
The 2023 Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) Student Art Reception was held at the CSIU headquarters in Milton to celebrate student artists from local school districts and their work.
The 23 pieces of artwork showcased Wednesday will continue to be featured at CSIU, displayed in a hand-crafted glass cabinet.
The CSIU Art Program was implemented in 2017. Along with their art teachers, students from local school districts submit their art pieces to CSIU.
“We invited students in our 17-district outreach to choose a work of art that is exemplary,” said Dr. Bernadette Boerckel, CSIU’s chief outreach officer. “The students get paid $300 for their artwork to be displayed at the CSIU offices. The students were invited to bring their families to celebrate them and their art.”
Milton senior Chloe Heintzelman displayed scratch art and a picture of an Australian Shepard.
“Basically every prompt I’m given I love to challenge myself,” Heintzelman said. “I wanted to capture the texture and patterning of the merle on the Australian Shepherd.
“I went into the project not knowing exactly what I was doing. But I learned a lot more about the medium.”
Heintzelman is planning on attending the PA College of Art and Design in Lancaster and would like to become an illustrator for children’s books or comic books.
Milton sophomore Grace Young produced a graphite drawing she titled “Sink Into the Floor,” which depicts a wide-eyed boy with tears streaming down his face.
“I really didn’t expect this honor,” she said. “I really didn’t know this was happening.”
It took Young about three weeks to create the drawing.
“It’s not often we get to celebrate the music and the arts,” said CSIU Executive Director Dr. John Kurelja. “Tonight is their night. We want to congratulate the work of these young artists.
“We also really appreciate the teachers who teach art and the gift they have in seeing something in our students and encouraging them to pursue their dreams.”
Mifflinburg Senior Samuel Snyder created a larger-than-life-sized playing card.
“I like playing cards and that’s the inspiration behind it. I am honored to be here,” he said. “It’s more difficult for artists to get their work out there so this is a real honor.”
It took Snyder about three hours to create the art piece. He plans to attend Bloomsburg University and major in a fine arts program.
“I’m so very proud, he has been creative since he was a child,” said Heather Snyder, Samuel’s mother. “To find out that it’s being displayed and paid for makes me very proud. This is a nice ending to his high school career.”
Theresa Koch is Samuel’s art teacher.
“This display definitely shows they are interested in what I have to teach them,” Koch said. “It certainly is an honor to be a part as this is my 25th graduating class.”
Danville Senior Anna Maffel painted a portrait of her friend.
“It took me about two month to create,” she said. “I had the idea of painting my friend because her eyes are just so pretty. I dressed her up and took a photo to reference while I painted. I wanted it to represent surrealism within everyday life.”
Maffel plans on attending Flatter University, where she will be studying fine arts and art education.
Lewisburg Senior Samuel Barrick presented a drawing he titled “The Boy and the Troll.”
“I drew a lot of inspiration from an artist who does ink-blot paintings,” Barrick said. “He did a troll so I decided to try my hand at it.”
On the drawing is a scroll with a poem about the boy and the troll and their unlikely friendship, which he penned himself.
Not only is Barrick an artist and a poet, but also a musician. He will be attending UArts in Philadelphia, where he will be majoring in digital music.
Elizabeth Young, of Line Mountain School District, created a glittering sculptured bust with a veil, and several burned-out candles.
“This is more of a caricature of what my own girlhood was like,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of collage work and wanted to do something in 3D. I never have a full vision of what I want to portray as it just comes to me as I work.”
