Upper School Students Awarded for Artistic Achievements

At The Bush School, students’ creativity, imagination, and artistic self-expression are fostered by a variety of immersive classes and by remarkable faculty who ensure that students nurture an open mind and develop a passion for exploration in everything they undertake. 

 

“It was nice to have the photo recognized amongst all the other great entrants,” Elliot shared. “Marilyn Smith has been teaching art, design, and photography classes at Bush for years, and her guidance, support, and expertise have been instrumental in helping me develop and progress my photography skills.”

 

Elliot’s thought-provoking photo features a male figure standing proudly with a staff at the peak of a shadowy precipice. He also submitted four other incredible photographs to the contest: Concrete Steel and Light, Monoliths, Pit Stop, and Peacemaker–each of which received honorable mentions in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which aim to recognize the art and creativity of teens in Seventh through Twelfth Grade. 

 

“My vision was to use the landscape, subject, and black and white film in such a way that transposed the viewer, making it difficult to place the location or era in which the picture was taken,” Elliot shared. 

 

Elliot is a student in Upper School Art Faculty Marilyn Smith’s Black and White Photography course, which teaches students the fundamentals of capturing the essence of subjects and inanimate objects through a lens. Without the distraction of vibrant colors, viewers can focus intently on the photo’s subject and the sense of timelessness it can evoke. Instead of using color as a focal point, students learn to emphasize patterns and lighting while honing their camera and darkroom skills.

“With photography, I’ve found a creative outlet which allows me to connect with nature and explore the world through my lens, while learning technical skills in the darkroom,” Elliot said.

 

Ellie’s award-winning story was a journalism piece that raised awareness of a statue commemorating the victims of the Seattle Riots of 1886. She hoped to shed light on an event in Seattle's history that is not well-known. In the gripping piece, she dives into the forced expulsion of Chinese citizens from the Old Chinatown in Pioneer Square, carried out by the Knights of Labor and many other white citizens. By the end of her story, she explains that over two hundred Chinese civilians were forcibly displaced from their homes and removed from Seattle.

 

“My passion for writing started in Middle School, where the amazing faculty and my Eighth Grade English teacher, Ms. Georgescu, taught me so much and supported a lot of the ideas that ended up growing into the pieces that I submitted,” Ellie explained. “While learning about Washington State in my Eighth Grade History class, I learned a lot about the Seattle Riots, and my history teacher, Mr. Brown, had us write small research papers. I reused a lot of my previous knowledge about history when writing my article. I'm very thankful that the Bush community and faculty have created an environment that continues to foster my creativity and passion for writing.”

 

The second piece in which Ellie received an honorable mention was a work of fiction titled Afterimage of an Angel. The story centers on a young woman who buys a mirror and becomes obsessed with her appearance until she no longer recognizes herself and dies of sadness and exhaustion, eventually dropping the mirror. The story concludes with a scene in which a little girl picks up the mirror, and it reflects how societal pressures on women are cyclical, often affecting one generation of young girls after another.

 

“I feel honored to have received these awards and hope that the judges found as much meaning in these pieces as I did,” Ellie said. “Afterimage of an Angel was an idea that I had reworked for Dan Osar's class. He gave me wonderful feedback on it that I was able to use when tweaking it for the competition.”

 

The Arts at Bush inspires imaginative, creative, and free-thinking students to get involved in a multitude of ways, whether by taking on a role in a performing arts production, strumming a guitar in a student-led band, or capturing photos of the natural world on the expansive Bush campus.

“It is great that Bush offers art, design, and photography classes, allowing students to explore different media and discover new avenues for creative thinking,” Elliot shared. “Considering how much of our time is spent on screens for schoolwork and entertainment, it is great to work with an analog camera, shoot on film, and develop images by hand in a darkroom. The arts provide a more human way in which we can explore and express ideas.”