Grade Ten students from Thorold Secondary School are getting their five minutes of fame. The pop art pieces they made in their art class are on display in the Thorold Public Library until the end of the month.
“It’s a nice opportunity for the kids to get their own work out there and to feel a little bit more proud that they get to show them to the community,” says Thorold Secondary art teacher Carlee McTavish, in an interview with ThoroldToday.
The pop art assignment is an yearly staple in McTavish’s class.
“We do a little bit of pop art history and we look at how it came about, pop culture, and it was all about celebrities and comics and advertising,” McTavish says. “Then I say: ‘Pick somebody whose face you don’t mind looking at for the next two to three weeks. Somebody who is a celebrity, or a musician, somebody who is important to you.’”
The students make their art pieces using a grid transfer method.
For his art piece, student Ethan Dokic chose Christian Ronaldo with whom he shares a personal connection.
“I love soccer so I chose him because he’s my favourite soccer player and we’re both Portuguese,” Dokic tells ThoroldToday.
Fellow student Ava Farewell chose to paint Scarlett Johansson.
“I chose to do her because I’ve seen a lot of her movies and growing up I’ve really liked the Marvel character she played: The Black Widow,” Farewell explains to ThoroldToday. “It just came naturally to me to do her.”
The students had no idea their work was going to be showcased at the library.
“It was awesome finding out it was being displayed there,” Farewell says. “It really did boost my confidence I guess.”
Linking up with the library to showcase her students’ art has long been a goal of McTavish.
“It’s something that I always wanted to do but with COVID it just has been really busy and whatnot in the last few years,” McTavish says. “I know the library workers really loved them. [The students] should be proud.”
McTavish hopes that the exhibit is the start of a lasting connection with the Thorold Public Library.
“If the library will keep having us we’ll keep that relationship going and keep sharing work with the public over there,” she says.
The pop art pieces are on display until Nov. 25.
