As you walk through the gallery of New Museum Los Gatos, vivid colors and images stick out and form a mosaic of different perspectives and stories. The gallery’s spring exhibition highlights Santa Clara County’s best student artists that submitted to “ArtNow”—this year’s theme is “dreamscapes.” All 700+ entries responded to the prompt, “How can art reflect our dreams, and how do our dreams reflect our hopes, fears, values, environment, and aspirations?” have been reviewed carefully by the council of the museum and narrowed down to 83 pieces, which are currently on display in the main gallery. Of the 83, the responses that resonate the most with the audience will be awarded prizes, including $10,000+ in scholarships and other awards.
During the VIP Preview, guests were invited to stroll through the gallery and observe the artwork complete with labels, which were the students’ written responses to describe their work. After some time in the gallery, everyone was ushered downstairs to listen to speeches from the museum workers, ArtNow Teen Council member Anuhya Gottam (a Valley Christian High School senior), three teachers of some exhibited students and Mayor Matthew Hudes.
Gottam spoke on how she has grown as a person and an artist through being an intern at New Museum. All teachers expressed their gratitude for “ArtNow” and the opportunity it gives students as well as the museum’s support in making sure all students have enough time to complete their submission. From the mayor, the audience learned of the museum’s positive impact on the community and the important place art holds in Los Gatos. Each speech highlighted the hard work every student has put in and the exhibition’s positive impact on the art community.
(Aradhita Singh / Los Gatan)
The event cements the unity of the art community. “What I find especially inspiring is how, even in the face of competition and the pressures of productivity, the community continues to thrive with such vibrant imagination. It’s a beautiful reminder of what we can achieve together,” said Amy Pan, from Saratoga High School, one of the exhibiting artists. Pan has been exhibited at “ArtNow” for the past three years.
Since 2012, “ArtNow” has given teen artists in Santa Clara County the opportunity to experience the real world of art by hosting a judged art competition. The competition features a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, mixed media and digital art and animation. The theme is sent out in October and submissions are allowed from the beginning of November to the end of February. After receiving all submissions, the museum curators begin a process of narrowing down the submissions and choosing which pieces will be exhibited in the gallery. The exhibition officially opened to the public on April 4.
