The BHS Visual Arts Program officially opened their Stand Out photography show on Tuesday, March 10th. About 100 people attended the opening reception at the Bernardsville Public Library. The show allows Mr. Babicke’s AP class – which includes 3 underclassman and 11 upperclassmen – as well as other photography students to showcase their work to a large audience.
Students are always heavily involved in putting on the shows and junior Ryan Trick designed the flyer for this year’s show. Ryan said, “I wanted to make a picture that could be interpreted many different ways”. He also went on to add that the photography show “not only brings fresh art to the community, but it allows the students’ work to be recognized”.
In addition to serving as opportunities for students to display their work, the shows are also important fundraisers. Students’ photographs are up for sale and, in the past, notecards, calendars and smaller copies of photos have also been sold. Mr. Babicke, who teaches AP Photography and runs the Photo Club at BHS, commented, “We use the profits to purchase things and expand the program”.
Mr. Babicke explained that the goal of this year’s show was to produce “images that attract your attention, things that stand out”. Speaking about the overall message of the show, he added, “Look at the difference between all the hands [on the show’s flyer], that we’re different but we all want to stand out”.
Typically, the Visual Arts Program puts on two shows a year, one in the late fall around Thanksgiving and another in March, which is Art Month. This year, the fall show, called “In Contrast”, was held at Starbucks. Other past themes include “Look into My World”, “Over Exposed”, and “Out of View”. According to Mr. Babicke, “The themes are based on the kinds of images the students are making”.
The Stand Out show, which will run through March 25th, is open during regular library hours.
