2020 ANNUAL PINE BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL EXHIBITION
The Arts & Science Center (ASC) is pleased to host the annual art exhibition of work by Pine Bluff High School students. Art teacher Shalisha Thomas has worked with the young artists and curator, Dr. Lenore Shoults, said, “the talent at PBHS is extraordinary and we look forward to sharing the student’s work with the public.”
Artwork and Artist Statements
The theme I chose is Black is Beautiful. Black is Beautiful is a movement that was based around a fight for an equal perception of the black body to help undo all the negative ideas brought about by a history based in white supremacy. The artwork is a symbol of I’m not beautiful in spite of being black, I'm beautiful because of it. I chose this artwork because everything about it is me. The quote on the side of my artwork says “I Am A Strong Melanin Queen Who Loves My Brown Skin Black Beauty That Comes In All Shades.” The quote represents me being the loveable black person I am.
The name of the artist’s style I chose was Figurative Decorative Art and the name is Amy Sherald. I chose this style because it is a tacit understanding of abstracted shapes. Figurative drawing has to do with drawing the human figure, in full or parts. A figure drawing is a drawing of the human form in any of its various shapes and postures using any of the drawing media.
Aaliyha Shavers
For centuries, African American women have been looked down on for the color of their skin; they were never considered to be beautiful, especially if they were dark. Unfortunately, although times have changed, many people still believe that African American women can not be beautiful. I believe that we are beautiful, no matter how different we may look from one another. In my artwork, I want viewers to see and understand that although some races do not like us and feel as if we are hideous, we are still beautiful, vibrant, and diverse people.
I incorporated Lois Mailou Jones’ style into my artwork because I like how she uses a collage of different things and manages to make it all look cohesive. However instead of making my entire artwork a collage, I decided to make the most important part of my artwork to contain it; my figure’s hair. Doing this will make her hair the focal point of the artwork and help convey the message I want. I decided to use Jones’ influence because it will give my work a beautiful twist.
Aiyana Arnold
I chose Black is Beautiful because most black people hate the skin they are in. They think they are ugly. I believe all colored skin is beautiful and strong. We have been through a lot in history and it has created so much hate within us. We need to realize we are one and we are beautiful. We are Black.
My artwork was inspired by Elizabeth Catlett. She was a wonderful artist who was inspired by race and feminism. She highlighted the struggle of black people. Sharecropper was one of her most famous pieces and it is the piece I based my artwork on. In the artwork, she carved into a block of linoleum and put it through a printmaking process called linocut. I wanted my piece to resemble hers so I used a scratchboard. As I drew, I noticed she had texture in her background. I decided to put more white in my drawing making the woman of my drawing a center point. It showed emphasis.
Artiea Allen
Someone that is black and portrays great qualities and abilities that make a good role model in a black society is an example of Black Excellence. In my art, I chose one of the most famous black artists, which is Tupac Shakur. He is the most famous hip-hop artist and led the black community by his music he wrote. Many blacks looked up to him because of their famous songs and quotes they gave to the black community. Many blacks listen to the lyrics in his songs, take it as advice and apply it in their life.
Cason Blunt
Black excellence is often overlooked or looked at as selfish. The media loves to display black on black violence and black executions to the masses to the point we as people think it's normal. Kobe Bryant, NBA superstar died at the age of 41, along with his daughter Gianna Bryant in a helicopter crash. In my artwork, I chose to portray Kobe Bryant in the style of Jean-Michel Basquiat. To make the artwork stand out and make it more like me, I incorporated jagged shapes and lines.
I chose Jean-Michel Basquiat’s style because of the primitive type of style that he used with lots of colors, shapes, and lines that look simple but are complex. I put different colors that pop and jagged lines to kind of mimic his style. I also drew Kobe Bryant in Jean’s style. The work that Jean-Michel Basquiat uses looks like stuff that kids draw and is very unique. I felt like Kobe’s death was very tragic and very devastating, so I made the artwork brighter.
Dreion Thomas
As a progressing artist, I am always looking for ways to improve the way I create art. I create art because it makes me think. I also create it because it helps me relieve stress at home and school. When I create a piece of artwork, I clear all distractions from my mind. The things I see, hear, and learn from others, inspires the things I create. The media that I enjoy using are paint and color pencil because they allow me to capture every detail and every feeling in one piece.
The title of my artwork is “Bruin Mel Meisie” which means Brown Skin Girl in the Afrikkan language. The principle I chose for my assignment was proportion. I chose the principle because I felt it would be different from the rest. In a way I incorporated emphasis into my artwork through her hair. I wanted to imitate the texture of my own hair, so I moved my brush in a circular motion to demonstrate the curl of the hair. I also added different shades of brown and a little black intoher hair. With my colored pencils I shaded the shadows of her face.
The inspiration of my artwork came from the song “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyonce. In the song she doesn’t just recognize brown skin to dark skinned complexions, but she encourages them to love their skin and not to conform to the expectations of society.
Elizabeth Duncan
For my artwork the artist style I chose to use was Kehinde Wiley’s style. He uses a lot of floral patterns dealing with nature in his backgrounds as well as creating realistic looking drawings. The part of his drawing style I represented is the realistic and proportional aspect of his works. I chose to draw Zozibini Tunzi, Miss Universe 2019. The media that I used was acrylic paint on a canvas and the theme I chose was Black Excellence. Not only is Zozibini Miss Universe, but she is also Miss South Africa as well. She is a model and the first black woman to be named Miss Universe since 2011. I chose her to represent black excellence because she shows that black excellence and black history itself is not just in America, but its world wide. Zozibini inspires young black girls everywhere to be comfortable in their own skin and their own hair. Herself, Miss America, Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, and Miss World show that you don’t have to have fair skin, straight hair, or colored eyes to be considered a beautiful queen. Zozibini Tunzi and the other black pageant queens are proof that black women are rising up and winning in every aspect of life.
Elizabeth Duncan
The theme I chose for my artwork is Black Excellence. I chose to create this illustration to show the love that black people have for reading books outside of “their norms”. A lot of people, including black people, believe that we only read or should only read books that have to do with the ghetto, drugs, etc. But there are black people who enjoy reading fantasy books such as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. The problem is that we don’t usually see a lot of our people portrayed in those books. Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi, breaks this norm by having African characters in the story.
I incorporated the art style of Lois Mailous Jones. I like the way her paintings have a lot going on, but it still comes together at the end. Her style also matched the theme I was going for in my painting. I wanted it to be magical looking and I feel that her use of collages and floating shapes and designs really helps to create the effect of a whimsical painting.
Grace Swygert
The area my artwork represents is Black Excellence. I used Amy Sherald’s style in my work through my use of neutral values in the faces and solid colored background. I chose to use YNW Melly as a subject in my work. Even though he has made mistakes and has a bad background, his pain and troubles push him to pursue his dreams of getting out of his hometown. Where he comes from is a horrible place and he said when he gets out he will never go back. The place you come from doesn’t make you, but your actions do. He knows that everything he did is wrong. Most people don’t understand him, and they judge him. He is human too and he owns up to every mistake that he makes. Even though he is in prison, he wants to be free and do better with his life. No one gives him a chance to prove that he has changed. The fact that he is black, a man, and locked up is enough reason for the system to not let him free. This system is messed up. If he can’t have actual freedom, then he can live vicariously through my artwork.
Jameisha Donson
The theme represented in my work is Black is Beautiful. I chose Winnie Harlow. Winnie Harlow is known as a Canadian fashion model, a public spokesperson, and an activist. Winnie has a skin condition called vitiligo. Winnie has spoken publicly about what it's like to live with it. Including a YouTube video and a Ted Talk, she is a successful model and activist. She talks to people about her condition and how to start loving yourself and know that feeling different is not wrong or negative. We are all different.
Jayla Spellman
I picked Black Excellence as my theme for my drawing. I decided to draw this picture because it looks like the black power hand and I put clippers in the hand. I picked barbers because a lot of successful barbers are black. Some barbers inspire young people while they are growing up and build relationships with them for years. Some barbers invent things to help people skin.
I used Lois Mailou Jones’ artistic style because she makes African-theme abstract. I like her We Shall Overcome painting. It’s a picture with all the black people that was successful during the early years. It shows that black people will overcome the bad things.
Kalan Gardner
I choose Black Excellence simply because black power is basically what my drawing stands for. I believe being colored is amazing. History in America was made by several African Americans. For example MLK, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey, and Kobe bryant. I feel as though African American history isn’t acknowledged enough. Some of the biggest role models, dead or alive, are colored.
I chose Leroy Campbell because his paintings are infused with history. So I felt for my artwork he would be perfect to inspire me for black history. Also he was a black artist in America. Most of his art that is created he includes in his art are people of color. I chose to include the outline of african in my artwork. Then in the background newspaper of African American history. Then to top it off a crown on the top.
Kendahl Taylor
The title of my artwork for this assignment is Black Excellence. I picked this drawing because I felt like it was a good way to represent how beautiful and excellent black people are. I think it captures several different things. The drawing shows natural hair, flawed facial features, nature, and the hair of the girl represents Africa. This drawing shows a woman with her head held high looking towards the sky. Her roots represent where she is from and knowing her history.
The artist I chose was Kehinde Wiley. I chose him because he represents black people, and he also is well known for his picture of the former president Barack Obama. I wanted my drawing to be Kehinde approved so I drew something that I felt like he would agree with. My drawing was similar to his because his paintings are very vibrant. The colors stand out and show a lot of versatility. I wanted to incorporate complementary colors in my drawing and make it very vivid. I think I did a very successful job at completing this image and achieving the colorful goals I wanted.
Latavia Burrell
My drawing is different from all the other students in my class. I made my drawing on a scratchboard to make it resemble Elizabeth Catlett’s style in Sharecropper. She incorporates neutral colors, such as black and white, in her artwork. I used the same type of texture that she uses on her backgrounds in my artwork entitled Lebron Lakers 23. The reason I chose Lebron as the person to represent black excellence is because he invests in the community.
Quinton Battles
I decided to create an artwork that represents black beauty because I wanted to send a message through my piece. I was inspired by Amy Sherald’s style, but I decided to put my own twist on it. Amy selects her subjects, such as normal people who she gains inspiration from or who she thinks would be an interesting subject. I drew a similar picture of my mom which I used to make the picture I created now. I shaded the figure’s hair, which is new to me, and I put the glitter on there to represent her shining skin.
Rosalyn James
Black is beautiful in different ways and different places. From time to time, people look at African Americans as a bright and beautiful community. In my opinion I believe that African Americans are the brightest people of their race because they made history for us to have a future today. For example, Martin Luther King, who had a dream that helped us gain our rights today, showed everyone that color did not matter because we are all the same inside and out.
My reason for drawing an African American woman is because of their independence. They show courage and prove that they are just as strong as any man. They also show that they can be independent and can hold their own. I feel like this picture is a great inspiration for any and everyone. I feel like this photo speaks louder than words and will give someone the courage and strength that they need.
I was inspired by Elizabeth Catlett’s artistic style. She was known for her best depictions of the African Americans experience in the 20th century. I used a scratch board to create my drawing of an African American woman. I created texture in the background of my artwork by using various lines.
Terry Jasper
James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens was an American track and field athlete and four times gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games who earned his name “The Buckeye Bullet”. He achieved and was one of the individuals who started and gave black excellence its domain. Owens was recognized for record breaking sprints and long jump. He is looked at as being the greatest and most famous runner ever. Jesse Owens has inspired other runners and I in so many ways. He blazed the trail of running on a professional level on the oval where many people felt he didn’t belong. Owens faced many adversities like challenges, mentally, and physical distress yet he beat the odds and remained humble that carved his name in history.
I chose to incorporate Kerry James Marshall’s style in my artwork because he is a contemporary painter whose work explores everyday life in the African American community. His most famous styles of painting are acrylic paintings on unstretched canvas. The way Marshall details his pieces by using dark and neutral in settings with vivid backgrounds. His artwork stood out to me most because the way he captures African American culture in his canvases not only gives outsiders a look at the vicinity of African American concepts of beauty.
Tilton Rhodes
The theme that I chose is Black Excellence. Lebron James is the small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is labeled as the best player to ever play the games of basketball. He is known for not only his leadership on the court but off of it as well. Lebron is a leader in the community and he has been very selfless involving giving back to his community as well as others. He has donated to organizations such as After School All-Stars, Children’s Defense Fund, and Boys and Girls Club of America. I chose him because he is the perfect role model on and off the court.
Tyler Foots
An area I have chosen for this art project is “Black Excellence.” There are times where the world has a certain stereotype or perspective on African Americans. But, it’s worse when they are a part of the LGBTQ+. Not only that some discriminate against others because of color, but sexuality as well. This is why my artwork is giving credit to African Americans, who are in the LGBTQ+, that have succeeded in the entertainment industry. This is also including the Harlem Renaissance period, where they couldn’t even show their sexuality because they were killed for it. But also, another reason why I made this artwork is because I am a part of the LGBTQ and I find it to be inspiring. The title of my piece is called Double the Unordinary because the word unordinary means something unusual or not normal. Since they are people of color and in the LGBTQ, it’s like plus ultra or adding onto the abnormal.
Zakiya Dean
RESTAGING of artwork
Curator Chaney Jewell stated, "The Pine Bluff High School exhibition is themed around Black Excellence and Black is Beautiful. Many of the artists created works centering around black excellence or beauty they find in celebrities or influences outside of themselves. But, by restaging their artwork with the artists themselves as the subject, they are now the example of Black being beautiful and Black Excellence."
1. Jameisha Donson, “Untitled,” 2020, Mixed media.
2. Jameisha Donson, “Untitled,”, photograph.
1. Kalan Gardner, “The Black Barber,” 2020, Colored pencil and pencil on paper.
2. Kalan Gardner, “The Black Barber,” 2020, photograph.
1. Quinton Battles, "Untitled," 2020, scratchboard.
2. Quinton Battles, "Untitled," 2020, photograph.
1. Zakiya Dean, “Double the Unordinary,” 2020, Marker on paper.
2. Zakiya Dean, “Double the Unordinary,” 2020, photograph.
