Spring Family Weekend Art Show: A Showcase of Cate’s Multi-Faceted Talents

By Josie Song '28

As families made their way to Hitchcock Theatre, down each step would reveal peeks of colorful art pieces featured in the Spring Family Weekend Art Show. The Spring Family Weekend Art Show featured student work from the visual arts department, including ceramics, studio art, and photography, from all levels, from Studio Art 1 to Advanced Art. 

To the right of the art gallery entrance was the artwork created by the Studio Art 1 students, who were tasked with producing large paintings based on references they created using photos and images they took themselves. Sofia Wang ‘28 created a piece of art resembling a bus stop, with a slight peek of sunlight drifting through the vines hanging from its roof, along with a childhood cat reminiscent of her memory. “The art process comes in waves,” she said. “At first glance, the project is beaming with potential, and everyone in my class was excited to take on the challenge, scanning through past photos as their initial ideas transformed and shifted. Then came the phase of grueling work, where hours of painting sometimes felt fruitless, as I tried to erase mistakes to achieve perfection. Finally, I realized that my artwork didn’t need to be perfect, and that was only when the creative process that I initially had at the beginning of this journey came back to me.” 

On the left of the art gallery were works by Advanced Art, Studio 2, Photography 2, Ceramics 2, and other visual arts students. When talking with Lisa Hasebe ‘27, she mentioned that, “Two highlights of the sculpture project were Jacob Zhao ’27 and Betsy Peters ’27, which were a giant Snickers bar and a cockroach. I felt an emotional connection towards Betsy’s piece, and although I didn’t initially see Jacob’s sculpture until after spring break, he really pulled through as one of my favorite pieces at the art show.” 

Front and center between the two doors at the theatre's entrance was a display of album covers created in a joint effort by the studio art 2 and photography 2 students. Spanning different genres and media, each square canvas was filled with the artist’s creativity and talent. Lisa ‘27 noted, “I loved Olivia Hotchner ‘27; she does a great job of capturing all the small details while maintaining speed and pace throughout.” 

Besides talking to visual artists, many other Cate students and parents were in awe of their community's artwork. When speaking to Evan Walters ‘28, she said, “I had often come into the art gallery seeing my classmates’ work, and with each time I came in, something new and interesting was in the gallery. Seeing everything work so cohesively together and seeing my peers’ hard work pay off was great!” 

Now, as summer approaches and students prepare to leave the Mesa, whether in excitement for another Cate year or in leaving once and for all, the lasting impact each visual art student has had on the program will be remembered forever through the memories left in the art gallery.