The Art Boom is a twice-annual art installation held in the I-wing and I-wing lawn, showcasing all the work that students in art-related classes have created throughout the year. It is an event that has been taking place at Woodside for many years.
Typically, near the beginning of the year, the Art Boom is held a month or two into school—when everyone is still relatively new, but there’s been just enough time for students to create art pieces. Students from all grades are invited to come and learn about the art classes Woodside has to offer. The Art Boom runs throughout lunch and tutorial, with plenty of things for students to see and do.
“Since students can really step into all the classrooms, [the Art Boom] allows students to see what everyone is working on and what’s going on in other art classes,” ceramics teacher Amanda Yopp said. “Hopefully by seeing all of this, they’ll want to take one of our classes.”
For this year’s spring Art Boom, there was an extra spark of energy. Students from the ceramics class were out throwing clay on the spinning wheel, showing off the skills they’ve learned and hoping to inspire more people to sign up.
“When I first attended [the Art Boom] junior year, I didn’t really know much about the art classes, but after going, it made me want to join an art class for my senior year,” AP Art student Jennifer Rodriguez said.
The Art Boom is an opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity within the school and students. Beyond the visual and artistic side of it, the Art Boom also fosters a deeper sense of community and collaboration among students and teachers, who get to show off their growth and experimentation.
Although many students may not know, the Art Boom also features part of the Woodside drama department — including flyers for upcoming plays and video snippets of past performances.
“Students are allowed to come and see past recordings of shows and talk to other students currently enrolled in the course, as well as talk to our teacher,” senior drama student Maxwell Tienken said. “It’s a good opportunity for students to learn more about the program and decide if they want to be a part of it or not.”
Although it might just seem like a simple student event, the Art Boom is more than just a showcase — it’s a moment of recognition, expression and pride as students choose their favorite and best pieces to display. As the school year comes to a close, the Art Boom offers a moment to celebrate not just art, but the creativity, growth and community spirit that define Woodside.
“When we went from the beginning of the year — not knowing how to even move clay around on the table, how to wedge it — to then creating these giant coil pots, it’s amazing to see the confidence in students and how much they’ve grown over the year,” Yopp said.
