Art, in one of its various forms, is an activity that most Lakesiders find themselves taking part in — whether it’s being coerced into taking at least two years as a graduation requirement, or finding one’s passion in the vast jungle of available opportunities. At Lakeside, students have the opportunity to perfect their craft in any number of electives until the end of their senior year, when they bid adieu to the spaces they’ve built a home in for the past four years and the pieces their hands have crafted. I took the time to connect with some seniors in two of the visual art departments: pottery and photography. Here are the few I was lucky enough to be able to talk to about their work in the department over the years.

Pottery

William Canlis

First enthralled by clay in a middle school art class, William found himself already drawn to ceramics when he entered high school. Taking 3D arts for his fourth and final year, William has grown to appreciate the skills he’s been able to develop as well as the exploration of new ways to create art. The support he has received has had an immense impact. He acknowledges the hard work that Mr. Foran, the ceramics teacher and arts department head, puts in to display all the work that students create: “Mr. Foran is awesome about showcasing everyone’s work and making sure all the wonderful things that are created have a chance to escape the basement of Pigott.” 

Sydney Trunell 

All journeys have their own respective trajectories, and Sydney’s art journey at Lakeside began with photography her freshman year. After returning to in-person school her sophomore year, she heard the raving reviews of ceramics and took a chance on the class.

Thoroughly enjoying the aspect of being able to think creatively out of the box, Sydney can’t imagine what her schedule for the past three years would’ve looked like without it. From her first time creating a lopsided mug, she’s found her time in the studio to be a stress-reliever and an opportunity to realize the ideas that come to mind.

Photography 

Max Siauw 

Many students, like Max, initially set out to fulfill the art requirement as fast as they could. Proving himself wrong, Max was met with the troubling truth that photography was more challenging than he thought it would be. Still, he continued to excel by taking three years of photography in freshman, sophomore, then senior year, and additionally conducting his own personal photography in the summer. He also enjoys the ability to take an art elective as his sixth academic class during senior fall as it gives him a lighter, more enjoyable class to look forward to. 

Across the board, these seniors have plans to either continue their art as a hobby or, in Sydney’s case, to pursue ceramics in college and beyond. The wonderful experiences exhibited by seniors could not have happened without the tremendous support of the art department and the teachers they have worked alongside. Lakeside’s support for different mediums and student art in its entirety is why many students opt to take art electives longer than the traditional two-year requirement.