With a few strokes of a paintbrush, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School’s most –and least– artistic students have created something for everyone to see. Friday, April 11, 2025, 4-7 p.m., the main lobby, main hallway, and media center will not only be converted to represent a botanical garden, but they will also be covered in artwork from students all over the school.
Art Fest, a free event, is highly anticipated every year, especially by the students in the National Art Honor Society who put it on. NAHS Vice President, Karis Sung says, “This year is more student driven. We’re definitely giving a lot more responsibility toward committee leaders. We’re definitely pushing the members a bit more to create stuff on their own time.”
This installation is no small feat. In addition to the artwork on display from throughout the year, NAHS will also have their own various tables selling handmade items to help with fundraising for the club. Those visiting can look forward to jewelry, stickers, buttons, ceramics, and henna tattoos.
“This year is an especially intrinsically motivated group that are really taking the wheel more than groups have in the past,” says NAHS co-advisor, Andy Hansen. “The facilitators, the advisors, have been doing most of the work in this.”
Students have been working since February to get the event going, hoping that it’ll bring something exciting to the community and give people something to look forward to.
“I’d say on a scale of 1-10 I’m level 9 excited,” says Sung. “This is the first year of Art Fest, and me being in NAHS, where I’ll actually be able to be there. The past two years I’ve been in pit for the musical, and this year I’m not doing it, so I’ll actually be able to be at Art Fest.”
NAHS member Kiki Santana and President Kara Sabo have been working on something new and exciting that hasn’t been seen before at Art Fest. This year, those visiting will be able to partake in a new interactive paint by number.
This allows friends and family members to be a part of the fun and watch a project come together throughout the night, giving them a real look into what many of the art students went through while creating the pieces that will then be put on display.
NAHS co-advisor Julia Gloege describes the process displaying works as one that should be all inclusive. “We try to incorporate one piece for every student who’s taken an art course with us. We’ll either save one throughout the year, their strongest piece from the year, or we’ll ask them to bring it back in. We do our best to make sure everyone who takes an art class is shown at least once in the show. Otherwise, we just try to accommodate the most promising pieces from students’ art classes.”
While it’s important for all students to get their moment in the spotlight, AP art students get their own special place to display more artwork from their portfolios.
Senior Colton Bilan has had his work on display for years, however, he says AP art has given him a sense of purpose to pursue with his work regarding his sustained investigation. He relates this back to pursuing the theme of Art Fest and making an effort to maintain a central focus.
“I think there is a big value in just creating, however, when you have the opportunity to show people what you did, and take pride in your work, it can make you feel more passionate about something that you’re doing,” says Gloege. “I think for a large amount of our student population here, they’re not going to pursue art in the future, and that’s fine. [It’s] not my intention as an art teacher to make everyone pursue art; however, my intention is to show you how you can incorporate it into your life, and how design, or art in general, and having the skills that we teach can be practical in your day-to-day life.”
