The students focus on their work, mixing the colors on their canvas. The watercolors drip down like light rain, as the soft brush colliding the reds and yellows to make a vibrant orange. The pale white color of the canvas was quickly erased by all the colors, now a beautiful work of art. A painting of a gorgeous sunset, as if it was a real picture. This is the kind of magic that occurs in the art room.

The McCollough art class is a vital part of our school. It encourages creativity among students and thinking outside of the box. I interviewed Mrs. Owen, an art teacher that teaches art A, art B, and art 1. “You still create in other classes, but your kind of engaging your muscles in another way through art,” said Mrs. Owen. For many students, art is an escape from everyday life, brightening up their day with the creative flow of drawing. It is relaxing to do something you enjoy and can relieve stress and anxiety. Some people even use art as a coping mechanism. Anyone can express themselves through art and use their imagination.

“It is important to explore different media in art so then you know as a person what you enjoy better.” Mrs. Owen stated in an interview. In art class, they use different media and experiment with multiple in the semester. Medias are the different materials used to create art. They use watercolor, pencil drawing, Prisma color, and so much more. There are three different levels of art class you can take: art A, art B (to get into art B, you have to complete art A), and art 1 (art 1 is high school level art, so you have to take both classes to get in). If you get into art 1 in middle school, it can set you up for success later on in life. You could get into art 2 in high school, and then get into an advanced class that could raise your GPA. In short, participating in art A, art B, and art 1 could raise your GPA much earlier than other high school students, giving you a head start into getting into a great college.

Students all over the world use art to express themselves for fun, to take a break, or for a coping mechanism. If you ever doubt if you’re good enough to join, remember this quote from Mrs. Owen: “Anyone can be an artist, everyone is an artist, some just decide not to pursue it.”