The El Paso Museum of Art is currently harboring an ensemble of creative expressions from the young minds of El Paso ISD high school students. Titled Enfoque Community Spotlight: EPISD Transformation Through Art, the exposition features 42 student artists who hail from a spectrum of high schools, including Austin, Bowie, Burges, Coronado, El Paso, Franklin, Irvin, and Transmountain Early College. It illuminates the inventive prowess and personal narrations of these adolescents, curated with the intention to embrace their stories and visions.
According to El Paso ISD, each participating student cultivated more than art; they engaged in a comprehensive study of curatorial practices, collaborated closely with art pedagogues and museum stewards, and contemplated art as a viable career path. Submerged in a year-long endeavor, the students honed their artistic skills, meticulously explored the exigencies of artistic presentation, and embraced the rigors of communicating their inner landscapes through their respective mediums.
One aspiring graphic designer and student at Irvin High School, Desiree Arzaga, shared with El Paso ISD the personal growth she experienced due to her involvement in the project, stating, "I enjoyed taking part in this project because it took me out of my comfort zone and challenged me." Alongside the challenges, she expressed the gratification gleaned from audience engagement: "It felt good when people looked at my work and noticed the little details I put into it." Arzaga's advice to fellows in artistry is simple yet resonant: "Keep trying — it’ll be worth it."
Delma Vargas, an art teacher at Irvin, shed light on the exhibition's significance for both students and educators. She illustrated the process as one filled with learning, dedication, and invaluable opportunity. "They put in many, many hours into this project, so this exhibit means a lot to them," Vargas reported, as per El Paso ISD, seeing students getting out of their shells and promoting their work. She spoke to EPISD of the profound pride and emotions anchored to the moment his students' work was erected upon the public stage of the museum, a validating experience for those with aspirations in the sphere of art.
