When it comes to what Sierra Pacific High School has to offer for students who have an interest in art, the school offers two art classes, one for 3-D design and one for studio art, as well as clubs that allow art students creative outlets.
The options they have are great, but unfortunately, there has been a lot of mention on how these classes and clubs lack funding. There has been a lack of supplies in the class, making students unable to try new ways to express creativity because the teachers aren’t able to get the funding.
The school has recently added a food truck, making it easier for students to get food during break. This has raised questions on if they can add the addition of a new food truck; why can’t there be more put towards the art program?
As nice as a food truck is, it is more important to give attention to art electives first, as these classes are the start of forming aspiring artists’ future careers.
It is also important to note that the art classes are constantly running out of materials, as well as things such as palettes and brushes being damaged or worn. This is something students could definitely take more into account when using these things, but schools should also consider that they will be used all the time, meaning wear is inevitable, and that updating them every couple of years should be a higher priority.
Unfortunately, the lack of attention that the art classes get here is no mystery. From AI photos up in the halls and offices that could easily be done better by talented students, to there being a lack of outside opportunities that the art students could have, such as art festivals or even college representatives of that major coming on campus.
This is crucial as careers in art require many more connections rather than just artwork itself, so funding trips allowing students to travel to art-related events could help them get connected and get a jump on their career.
This has been going on for a while now, considering how often teachers have stated the lack of availability of things due to funding. For 3-D design, there isn’t a place where students’ pottery works can be heated due to there not being a furnace, so students have to wait a while before their projects can be completed. Luckily, the school is adding new buildings, which will be used to help this. Hopefully, they will be used to their fullest potential and allow for as many new materials and new mediums that students have an interest in to be used.
There has been much discussion of adding a digital art class for students who have more of an interest in gaming design as well as animation, but there isn’t enough equipment to get it started, so hopefully these new buildings will be open to having this as a new addition. These things, though, could have been considered first rather than adding something that could have been put off until later on.
It is sad to see the lack of appreciation when it comes to this because if more funding and time were put into these extracurriculars rather than other things, it would be much more impactful for the students who have an intense passion for it.
