Original pieces of art created for the Cherry Creek Arts Festival are now on display on the second floor of Westminster High School as part of the CherryArts Mobile Art Gallery. The show includes metal works, ceramics, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, photographs and more. Each piece in the collection was chosen and purchased by students in the Student Art Buying program, which provides access for students from across Colorado to become art collectors for their schools by purchasing artwork from the Cherry Creek Arts Festival artists for permanent installation at their school. View descriptions of the work on display here.
The Creative Arts Pipeline worked with the CherryArts program to bring the gallery to the school. As many as 30 students are receiving docent training so they can guide their peers and community members through the gallery. “We are excited to bring arts into our schools whenever possible,” said Ariel Higuera, Creative Arts Pipeline Administrator. “It’s a wonderful way to bring beauty into our lives, and it’s also a real learning experience.”
Student docents are instructed on the medium, technique and process of each two- and three-dimensional piece in the exhibits, along with biographical information about the artists. Student docents will be giving tours of the Gallery at a Community Night where parents, school board members and the local community are invited to take a docent-led tour.
The Community Night will take place on Thursday, March 2, from 5 - 7 p.m. on the second floor of Westminster High School with light refreshments provided by WHS students on the Culinary Arts career pathway.
CherryArts Program Director, Shay Guerrero, is excited to see how engaged the students are. Guerrero is new to the position, having transitioned last year from teaching art at Westminster Public School’s own arts-focused school, Metropolitan Arts Academy. She is hoping to expand access to art experiences and arts education across Colorado, especially to harder-to-reach populations. “The motto of CherryArts is ‘Art for Everyone’” and we need to make sure we are living up to our mission.”
