SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Mariam Nadi said she “just loves” her little brother, 2-year-old Muhammad-Ali Nadi.
She loves him so much so, that when she was assigned a project in her Honors Art Portfolio class based on fabric, she took a picture of the baby swaddled in his favorite sheet and translated it onto a canvas.
“It’s so interesting. There are so many different ways to express yourself … and anything you work on from your subconscious, there’s so much meaning behind it,” she said. “You get something at the end you’re going to be proud of.”
Mariam is one of thousands of students in the South Brunswick School District who created artwork throughout the school year, and then had those pieces on display during the 14th annual District Student Art Gallery on April 12.
Mariam said she always dabbled in art on her own, but decided as a senior at South Brunswick High School to take an official class. She said she has learned new skills, such as realism, lighting and different media.
“It’s a learning experience. It’s a process. … Art is definitely something you can learn, and practice makes perfect. It’s a science,” she said.
Mariam also created a painting of her cat, part of Betty Ann Snediker’s “Adopt Don’t Shop” project.
Safiyya Asma, a sophomore at SBHS, had several pieces on display, including an oil pastel girl, a landscape scene, a Zentangle pattern and a paper quilled “M”.
“I feel kind of happy inside, people thinking my work is actually nice. It feels nice,” she said.
Krish Patel, a fifth grader at Brooks Crossing Elementary, showed off his blue-splattered geode sculpture with a “creature” inside.
His classmate Dason Boateng displayed a picture of a toucan he recreated using watercolors coming through a black overlay.
“You get to express what you’re feeling into what you draw,” Dason said of the importance of art, especially for youngsters.
Art teachers from each of the district’s 12 schools, along with volunteers, set up the exhibit on April 11, and planned to take everything down on April 13.
Township senior citizens were invited to attend in the morning of April 12, while parents were expected later on at night. Students from each school were bussed in during the day to view their artwork and the artwork of other students.
“This is to celebrate and appreciate everyone in the district,” supervisor Robert Sears said.
“It’s a great event. The future is so bright for our students in the art world. I’m so proud of our students and teachers,” Principal Peter Varela said.
The teachers are an integral part of the process, as children learn the basics in elementary school and refine their skills in their later years.
“Because I teach portfolio, I have kids for three years. … You can see a big improvement because of what [the other teachers] do,” Snediker said.
“I’ve had many people over the years say [in disbelief] high schoolers can’t do this. It’s professional [level] work,” Constable Elementary art specialist Tracy Kociolek said.