A new generation of artists are hitting the beach – so to speak – in the “Next Wave: Surf the Saw” exhibition at Atelier in Warsaw.
The contemporary art gallery is featuring 22 students from Warsaw Community High School in the exhibit, open through August. The students are part of the Gone Boarding program, which teaches the design and construction of items such as surfboards, stand-up paddle boards, wake boards and skateboard decks. The 30 pieces in the show include surfing-related work such as boards, sculptures, ceramics, painting, photography and a film being projected against one of the gallery’s walls.
Gallery owner Sea Grandon says she presented the exhibit idea to Andrea Miller about a year ago, around the time Atelier was hosting its “Pink is Punk” group show. Miller is an artist and Warsaw Area Career Center instructor. Gone Boarding is part of the Design Graphics Pathway in the center’s Engineering & Technology Department.
Miller brought some students to see the “Pink is Punk” exhibition, and Grandon joined Miller in speaking with them about how a show is planned. Then they set out to create this summer’s show, which Grandon calls “an exuberant and dynamic show of surf-inspired artworks of varying media that both showcases emerging talent and promotes community engagement.”
In preparing for “Next Wave,” students have learned many areas of the business of art, from planning to implementation, Grandon says in a phone interview. It starts with conceptualizing work around a theme and investigating source materials, then turning vision into reality.
Translating ideas to a final product can be tricky; sometimes an artist’s first idea doesn’t pan out. Planning for an exhibition includes the discipline to set timelines and meet deadlines for artwork despite setbacks.
“Most of the projects in the show involve processes that are new to the students,” Miller says in a news release. “They have a vision for what they want to make, but are not very familiar with the grit it takes to finish things up with excellent craftsmanship and design.”
The students were responsible for collaborating with their colleagues, and some of the pieces were completed as an artist-team. Problem-solving was part of the process in figuring out, for example, how to safely secure 9-foot-long stand-up paddle boards for the show.
In addition to creating work, the students have figured out how to price their pieces for sale, witnessed marketing efforts for the show, helped with installation at the gallery, and interacted with viewers and sponsors at last week’s opening reception.
“I think all of that is instructive of what it would be like to be a professional artist making your career making art,” Grandon says.
The contemporary art gallery has taken on a “surf shack” vibe for the exhibition, to create what Grandon calls an “immersive, fun experience.” It includes a merchandise shop with items such as hats, T-shirts and stickers bearing the show’s logo.
One of the show’s sponsors, the Bailey R. Moore Foundation, awarded student artists Ali Barkey and Leighton Wolfgang Hackworth scholarship awards during the July 12 opening reception.
They were selected for their artistic ability and efforts in preparing for the exhibition, Grandon says, and to incentivize their continued studies and artistic development.
Grandon, an art advisor and attorney who opened Atelier in March 2023, hopes to do a show with students every few years to engage emerging artists and give them a platform to show their work. She says it has been fun watching the students go through the process.
“It’s been a valuable experience to me and, I hope, for them as well,” she says.
