With the mix of vibrant colors, intersecting circles, splatters and half-moons, Mackenzie Teague’s artwork stands out from the rest. The untitled masterpiece is on display inside the African American Pavilion at the New Mexico State Fair alongside artwork from students from across the state.
Teague, a student at Dennis Chavez Elementary School, said her piece represents many things. When asked what the artwork is about, she responded, “My life, mix of different emotions and events in my life. Different colors for different emotions.”
For Teague, art allows her to express emotions in a positive manner. When asked why art is important, she said, “Because [it] allows me to express anger and other emotions in non-violent ways.” She said the idea of having her art on display for thousands of people to see is both “cool and scary.”
Teague’s work was produced using watercolor pencils under the instruction of APS art teacher Seth Goodman. Goodman is listed as the instructor for several of the students from Dennis Chavez whose art is on display at the state fair.
Zane Davis, who was a fourth grader at Dennis Chavez when the art was submitted but who now lives in Holland, has a piece on display titled “Madness.” “For Zane’s artwork we looked at the art of Keith Haring and focused on the element of line and the principle of unity,” Goodman said.
According to a lesson on Haring’s work provided by Goodman, “Unity results when all of the principles of a design merge into a complete work of art. It encompasses line, shape, form, color, texture and space. Harmony is the way in which all of the elements relate to one another to successfully produce a unified whole. In a successful design or artwork, the unity of all elements is greater than all of the parts combined.”
Goodman’s instruction for the week was to look at the art and life of Haring and create a drawing inspired by his work. Davis’ “Madness” is spot on as far as the incorporation of line and unity go, looking similar to Haring’s 1987 untitled (dance) piece. Davis’ mom, Rachel, wrote from Holland saying how exciting it was for Zane to have his art shared with the world. “We love this! It’s so exciting for Zane! He loves art and hopes to go to art school some day,” Rachel said.
Other artwork on display includes a piece by Brody Burton, who was a fourth grader at Dennis Chavez when the work was created. Burton’s untitled work has a dark and ominous, outer-space look to it with greens, blues and oranges used to make shapes or some type of structure on a black background.
Hannah Cantwell, who was a fifth grader when she produced her work, includes yellow, blue, green and red flowers protruding from a colorfully designed pot. “For Hannah’s art I was not her teacher,” Goodman said. “Vanessa Hoffman was her teacher. The lesson appears to be a painted still life.”
The students’ art will be on display at the state fair until Sunday, Sept. 18. More pictures of the school art display can be found on the Neighborhood Journal YouTube channel or at statefair.exponm.com/p/participate/school-art-showcase.
