A fine art

Senior Brooke Powers is a member of the visual art strand. Powers has a unique and compelling way of creating art that inevitably makes their art stand out from the rest. 

“I use a lot of bright colors, and a lot of the art I do is digital, which allows me to create effects that stand out more when placed among a lot of traditional pieces,” said Powers.

Powers focuses on drawing people, particularly women, while also incorporating other random elements to the composition. Power’s art has earned multiple local awards as well as recognition on a national level in the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition. 

Powers’ experience as an artist has also given them a chance to be exposed to different cultural and historical experiences that they normally wouldn’t have gotten the chance to explore. Alongside that, people have taken such an interest in their art, that they’ve been asked to create specialized commissions, including custom Twitch banners, album covers, and much more. 

“I think these opportunities are amazing because it’s like my art is actually going somewhere that isn’t just for me,” said Powers. “Being an artist has influenced my life because it’s forced me to be exposed to so many things. On a more literal note though, it’s very time consuming especially when you do it for school and it requires a lot of motivation/inspiration.”

However, getting to this point has not been easy. Being passionate about something involves struggle and Powers has faced adversities that have challenged their passion for art, to the point of almost quitting. One such experience was a situation in middle school, where teachers were limiting students’ creative potential and have them create what the teachers were expecting, while displaying unfair treatment and favoritism. 

“Honestly, it made me want to quit creating art,” said Powers. “I was very disheartened and tired of everything. Coming to Salem scared me because I thought it was going to be the same way, but my teacher Mrs. Richburg is an epic legend, and she made it so much more enjoyable than what I experienced in middle school.” 

Powers’ experiences as an artist goes to show that even if one faces hardship, one can always come out of it stronger and more experienced than before.

Even after facing continued adversity, Powers continues to create art. Through hard work and practice, their abilities have gotten them admitted into art schools such as MICA with scholarships.  

“Sometimes it feels like I create art out of habit sometimes, sometimes I actually do it because I enjoy it, and other times i do it as a source of income. It’s more fun when it’s something I enjoy obviously, so I try not to force myself to do things I don’t like, but it can’t always be helped.” 

It’s never too late to become engrossed in the world of art, and being part of the Salem community offers multiple experiences that no other school can offer in regards to experiencing an artistic community. Experiencing the world of art presents many unique and informative experiences one can take with them anywhere in life. Powers’ story is just a fragment of what the art academy has to offer. Even if one isn’t artistically inclined in a technical sense, the Salem community offers experiences such as the annual Raku B Que and other art shows where one can encounter a small part of the grand and vibrant art world.