From left Western Wayne senior featured artists: Emma Pontosky, Cori Talarico, Miranda Kubilus, Courtney Petrilak, and Maggie Millon. 
: This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Maggie Millon. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Cailie Thoman. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Cori Talarico. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Miranda Kubilus. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Courtney Petrilak. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Emma Pontosky. 
This is the featured artwork of Western Wayne senior Noelle Cruz.
The Hollywood Sign, spider legs, murals, and whimsical-themed pieces were just a few of the things featured through art at Western Wayne High School’s Annual Art Show that took place on Saturday, June 5, in the high school library.
The students and their teachers faced many challenges in their preparations for this year’s show, but they put together a magnificent presentation of the art work they worked so hard to create this year under challenging circumstances due to COVID-19.
Students from grades 9 through 12 had artwork displayed with seven featured senior art displays. The featured senior artists included: Noelle Cruz, Emma Pontosky, Cori Talarico, Cailie Thoman, Courtney Petrilak, Miranda Kubilus, and Maggie Millon.
The featured seniors had a variety of different themes for their displays.
“Mine focused on unfinished sketches,” Emma, who plans to attend West Chester University in the fall to study secondary education English, explained. “I usually fall in love with my sketches before I finish, so I decided to feature my favorite unfinished pieces for my display.”
One of Emma’s favorite unfinished pieces was of an actor from the television show Looking for Alaska based on the popular novel of the same title by John Green.
Senior Courtney Petrilak also had a reference to popular culture as the theme of her senior display. One of her larger pieces was a painting of the Hollywood Sign. Courtney, who plans to attend Penn Tech in the Physician’s Assistant Program, explained how her art work centered around a Hollywood Walk of Fame for ordinary people that she chose to create pictures of.
“Art is like therapy for me,” Courtney said. “It is very relaxing.”
Fellow senior featured artist Cori Talarico agrees that art helps her to feel calm.
“I use the time I create my art as an escapism period where I have peace and quiet time,” she explained.
Cori’s senior display was centered around a favorite mural picture she created from something she drew in her sketchbook. Her mural is of a girl in a blue outfit looking out a window. Cori explained that the other pieces in her display matched the color scheme from her mural. Cori is thinking about studying art in college in the future after taking a gap year.
Senior Maggie Millon also intends to take a gap year and do some online classes upon graduation. She explained the theme of her senior art display as whimsical. Her favorite picture is of an African American woman that she painted using blues, oranges, and browns among other colors.
“Making art allows me to be creative,” Maggie explained. “It helps me to stretch my limits and skill through the pieces I make.”
Fellow senior artist Miranda Kubilus also feels enabled to take on challenges through creating her artwork.
“I love art because there is no right way to really do it,” Miranda explained.
For her senior display, Miranda, who will attend SUNY Oswego to major in creative writing, decided to combine all of her favorite pieces together with no particular theme. Her favorite piece is called “Legs”. She explained how spiders were the inspiration for her piece. She isn’t a fan of the tiny creatures. However, she is fascinated with their legs hence why they inspired one of her favorite pieces of art.
Western Wayne administration and staff congratulate these senior artists and all of the other art students who displayed work in the June art show. They look forward to another fabulous show next year.
