Cover art by Carrie Briggs
JANUARY EDITION
The Avatar is a monthly publication filled with student works and articles all centered around art & literary works, set on showcasing the creative talents of our school. From painting, to writing, to performances, the Avatar is here to display the young artists of our generation in order to promote their growth.
ARTICLES BY AVATAR STAFF
SHOW AVATAR SOME LOVE
FEBRUARY LITERARY CONTEST
It's February and love is in the air. Write a short poem or story about something or someone you love. Share your feelings about that wonderful Mocha you had this morning or that special someone in your life. The Avatar staff will select the most creative literary work to award the prize to. Selected works will be featured in the February edition of Avatar.
Click the link below to enter your creative literary works for a chance to win a Hello Kitty Plush Prize Package
JANUARY'S COLOR OF THE MONTH
EMERALD GREEN
By: Mia Molina
Emerald green was produced by German chemists Russ and Sattler in 1814 by mixing and heating copper verdigris with vinegar and white arsenic. The color was mostly used in oil and watercolor paintings. Due to the arsenic, it was discovered that the pigment was toxic but it was still used in paint and dye because of its availability.
Artists like Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Paul Cézanne used Emerald Green in their paintings. Cézanne’s “Mont Sainte-Victoire” uses different types of green and yellow pigments showing the mountain from his hometown.
The color green symbolizes wealth and royalty. As the lucky color of 2024, Emerald Green is also said to symbolize renewal, growth, and rejuvenation. Wearing Emerald Green during the New Year could be a great way to start the year fresh and try new things.
Emerald Green: Like it or hate it?
SHS STUDENTS LITERARY WORKS PUBLISHED
By Adelay Stover
Congratulations to Shawnee seniors Rose Kottapalli and Rocky Stalone for having their poetry published in Hog Creek Hardin! Ms. Kottapalli's work can be found in Volume 1 and Ms. Stallone's work can be found in Volume 2. We are so proud of these students for having the opportunity to be published!
JANUARY SPOTLIGHT ARTIST
CLAES OLDENBURG
By Leon Schumm
Claes Oldenburg was a scupltor born January 28, 1929 in Stockholm, Sweden. He moved to America when he was young due to his father's work and grew up in Chicago. He went to Yale University to study literature and art history. He took classes on other campus’s and worked as a reporter and museum curator while developing his style of art.
Claes Oldenburg had a rather interesting idea with his sculptures. He started out making soft sculptures of everyday objects, using fabrics and other soft materials to build them. The recreation of everyday objects in creative works was a common theme with Claes Oldenburg’s work all throughout his career. While he primarily did sculptures, he did have a brief period of time where he did performance art in various places. In 1965, he started making drawings of imaginary monuments of giant versions of everyday objects. When he started making these sculptures he was originally ridiculed. One piece that he built was moved from its original place because people believed the colofulness of it ruined the affect of the classic building it was near. Though overtime, his work did pick up in it’s popularity and he made many commissions. Oldenburg often worked with his wife on the sculptures, for which they both got recognized by the art community. Claes Oldenburg won many awards and got the National Medal of Arts. He was awarded a wide variety of honorary degrees for his art. His wife who assisted with sculptures, Coosje Van Bruggen, also was given honorary degrees alongside her husband. Claes Oldenburg died just two years ago in 2022 at the age of 93.
Claes Oldenburg had a wide variety of fascinating sculptures. While their subjects are mundane, the bright colors and size of these sculptures make them fun to look at. Some of his sculptures include a giant bowling ball with pins flying away from it, and a giant spoon holding a cherry. I would definitely recommend checking out his work, the oddness of these giant everyday objects is very fun to look at.
JANUARY 31ST
INSPIRE YOUR HEART WITH ART DAY
Always observed on January 31st, Inspire Your Heart With Art Day encourages us to ponder how art affects our hearts. Art is valued and appreciated for all sorts of reasons.
INTERNATIONAL LEGO DAY
By Sami Rettig
85 years ago today, one of the world’s most beloved toy companies was founded in Denmark: the LEGO. The infamous company was created by Danish inventor Ole Kirk Kristiensen; though, in the beginning, LEGO was never the toy we’ve known to love. It was not yet even called LEGO, or had any of the building brick’s distinctive qualities. Kristiensen’s operation adopted its name after the business owner won his own creative-name competition. The name LEGO derives from the Danish words “leg godt”, meaning “play well”. His toys started as common figurines such as cars and planes along with building blocks and even yoyo’s. Though as production technologies advanced, so did Kristiensen’s toys. The introduction of milling machines allowed for quicker and simpler production of the bricks, so LEGO was able to make more money at a better pace. With this they had the financial stability to invent molding machines and expand beyond preexisting toys and make something new. Kristiensen prioritized the quality of his toys and actively promoted creativity in children, and with his own creativity he created LEGO’s first building block called Automatic Binding Bricks. They earned their English name as a tribute to the allied forces in Europe that helped to stop World War II by working together, similarly to how the bricks could also bind together to create something amazing. In these molding presses, chunks of plastic were melted down and shaped (kinda like a waffle maker) into these new, small building blocks that we all know, and love, today. In present time, LEGO has a networth of almost 12 billion dollars, and this was all possible because of a man’s astounding belief in the importance of creativity, and LEGO's continue to support creativity in all people worldwide.
River and Rust: A Night of Poetry at ArtSpace/Lima
The public is invited to hear works from the poets in the new publication of River and Rust. The event has been rescheduled to February 16, 2024. Select poets from the collection will read their personal interpretations of Lima and all that appears in Allen County. The collection represents talented individuals of various races, ages, and backgrounds and demonstrates their link with one another through their shared connection to Allen County, a place they all have called home. The reading will be held at ArtSpace on February 16, from 6:30 to 8:00. The event is free to the public. For more information, please call ArtSpace/Lima at 419-222-1721
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
By Kenidee Morgan
Science without Borders Challenge 2024
Awards: Up to $500 in scholarships
Deadline: March 4 2024
Description: Submit an artwork relating to the Deep Sea, depicting unique sea creatures or ecosystem. While we imagine sharks, dolphins, sea turtles as life in the ocean it's important to know about a whole different world that exists in the deep sea, home to some of our most unique creatures.
Medium: Arts, Video + Photography
Solo and Ensemble
By Carrie Briggs
Solo and Ensemble OMEA competition was held on January 26th at St. Mary’s high school. Shawnee High School's band and choir sent many soloists to the competition.
Soloists for choir were Lara Mollette, Evan Rinesmith, Gianna Staas, Alayna Brown, Logan Spencer, Chloe Massie, Hunter Meiring, Violet Volbert, Carrie Briggs, Kaleighna Schaub, Salliea Rumer, Madi Whetstone, Addy Kiraly, and Cassie Potter. The choir had 4 ensembles with 2 in each choir.
For band, soloists were Josh Brenneman, Trinity Schumacher, Chloe Massie, Toby Bucher, Gage Edwards, Anabelle Washam, Mason McPheron, Jenova DeBrosse, Angelina Karapondo, Daniel Schiel, Jayna Zeltner, Ribka Eyob, Cohen Lampton, Baylee Moreland, Andrew McKenzie, and Toby Bucher. Band brought 5 ensembles. The Shawnee Clarinet Quartet included Amelia Vega-Ortiz, Lourie Rigali, Kate Carson, and Haley Dunifon. In the Shawnee Saxophone Sextet, there was Cooper Rummel, Ethan Sargent, Tam-duc Tran, Will Owen, Trinity Schumacher, and Gabe Myers. In the Shawnee Low Brass Quartet, there was Daniel Schiel, Paige Harris, Ribka Eyob, and Toby Bucher. The Shawnee Brass Quartet included Gage Edwards, Omar Salem, Caleb Mosier, and Daniel Schiel. In the Shawnee Woodwind Quartet, we had Andrew Kurland, Trinity Schumacher, Lyric Hauenstein, and Karina Delgado.
Congratulations to everyone who participated! Solo and Ensemble can be very scary, especially for a newer performer. All of these wonderful participants put in a lot of hard work and effort to get where they are, and AVATAR applauds you. Keep pursuing music, and keep making your art.
SCHOLASTICS ART & WRITING AWARDS
Six Shawnee High School students have received recognition in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by The Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Their creative works will be on display at the FWMoA (Fort Wayne Museum of Art) from February 10-April 7. The two Gold Key works will proceed to national adjudication in New York City.
Students receiving awards are as follows:
Sanaa Khandakani - Gold Key
Caity Etmontas - Honorable Mention
Anna Menke - Silver Key
Lena Parsley - Gold Key
Rachel Riepenhoff - Honorable Mention
Gracie Monday - Honorable Mention
Olivia Smedley - Silver Key and Honorable Mention
Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized some of America's most celebrated artists and writers while they were teenagers, including Stephen King and Andy Warhol. We are proud to count the students among these esteemed Scholastic Awards alumni!
Artwork to the left is by Lena Parsley
The Rediscovery of Leonor Fini
By Chloe Angel
Leonor Fini, born on August 30th, 1907, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is finally starting to get the recognition that she deserves 28 years after death. San Francisco’s Weinstein Gallery has collaborated with Paris’ Galerie Minsky to show some of her work.
Gallery owner Rowland Weinstein states, ”She was a pure creator. She continually changed… In that essence, I think she was kind of like Picasso. She loved theater, design, costume design. And she was kind of a genius in all of them.”
While alive, Leonor Fini was known for her provocative art and life. Fini was a very artistic woman with an artistic and flamboyant personality. A quote by Fini states, “In a sense my paintings have always been my autobiography… they ‘unmask’ a being inside of me.” During 70 years of her life Leonor Fini made many paintings, drawings, and costume designs, without any formal training, Fini was mostly self-directed when making her art.
Fini broke gender norms during her time as an artist, which is why society may’ve seen it as provocative. Leonor Fini expressed her style and character in her work.
LOVE STINKS FUNDRAISER
Not all love is purr-fect. Some of their cats know a thing or two about getting dumped, and they're here to help you get sweet revenge. Give a $5 donation with the name of your #CrappyEx, and The Ohio SCPA write their name in a litter box. Then their cats will do the honors of covering your former #1 with plenty of #2. All proceeds support the animals in their care who need "somebody to love"! Are you feeling the love and would rather focus on the good times? Make a donation in honor of your sweetheart instead.
AVATAR'S BLAST FROM THE PAST
By Dex Hooker
The first Avatar was published in 1975 and the publication has been continuous ever since then. This article will spotlight some of the best submissions over the years.
Dex's Choice: Artwork
I selected this art piece because even printed in the grainy 1976 quality it still looks beautiful. This is from the 4th volume Avatar ever produced, created by Tammy Zinn and Sue Chung.
Dex's Choice Writing
Late hours
Hard work and aching muscles,
Faces alight, whimsically masked.
Croaking voices and forgotten lines.
Greasepaint under lighting gels,
Toes, taps, and fallen arches.
People together,
Under one’s direction.
A real place
In a fairytale world.
Evelyn Case
This one caught my eye because, with no prior knowledge, you would think this is just about any kind of hard work but when you think about what it said and take every word in you realize it's about a dancer.
#EggDropMagic
Courtesy of Yearbook Staff
Caity Eitmontas and Carter Cleaves
Dive into the world of physics adventures, where learning meets excitement! With careful calculations, innovative designs, and nerve-racking suspense, these students attempt to outsmart the forces of gravity to ensure the survival of their fragile egg. The unforgettable egg drop experiment had everyone on the edge of their seats! Watch as these students bring science to life, showcasing creativity, teamwork, and a touch of gravity-defying magic. Who knew protecting an egg could be this thrilling?
FAMOUS PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTIST BIRTHDAYS
By Leon Schumm
Do you share a birthday with a famous artist? Check out the list below and find out.
1 Alfred Steiglitz 1864 (Photographer)
8 Elvis Presley 1935 (Singer and Actor)
10 Barbara Hepworth 1903 (Artist and Sculptor)
12 John Singer Sargent 1856 (Artist)
14 Berthe Morisot 1841 (Painter)
19 Paul Cezanne 1839 (Painter)
19 Clementine Hunter 1887 (Artist)
23 Edouard Manet 1832 (Painter)
24 Robert Motherwell 1915 (Painter and Graphic Artist)
28 Claes Oldenburg 1929 (Sculptor)
28 Jackson Pollock 1912 (Painter)
29 Barnett Newman 1905 (Artist)
19 Dolly Parton 1946 (Singer-songwriter and Actress)
Interested in joining the AVATAR Staff?
Join the Avatar Google Classroom (join code dnsu44h)
2023/24 AVATAR STAFF
Mr. Krawetzke - Avatar Advisor
Carrie Briggs
Caitlyn Smitheram
Kenidee Morgan
Chloe Angel
Leon Schumm
Dex Hooker
Sami Rettig
Adelay Stover