DIVERSEartLANGLEY: What is Your American Story?
By Tracy Gong, Reporter
The second annual DIVERSEartLANGLEY exhibition was held at Langley High School on February 27, and featured over 80 submissions from Langley and Cooper students. A variety of photographs, paintings, and sketches, all echoing the main theme, were on display by the PTSA. This year’s theme was “What is your American Story?”
The driving question allowed for a multitude of different art pieces for submission. Not one American story is the same as the other, and this occurrence was clearly represented in the art, from photographs of domestic scenes to colorful displays of mixed media. It was soon clear that the intention was to allow such diverse art (and stories) to flourish. “The organizer’s hope was that people would see things that were different about the people that participated but also hopefully some commonalities,” said William Farnsworth, Langley Studio Art Teacher.
Lauren Rummler, a Langely junior and an AP Art Student, submitted her painting of the Dulles Airport. Painted in bright, bold strokes, it features a ubiquitous airport background with a distinct vibrance in the scenery. Rummler’s painting is part of her AP Art Portfolio she is planning to submit to the College Board for judging. “My piece is about Dulles Airport and it centers around America because this airport leads us to the capital of the United States. The colors I portrayed in my piece really showcase the bright
horizons of America and our growth. The multiple colors show how different people can come to DC and they can make it their home,” Rummler said.
Other pieces of artwork also reflect the immigrant stories that many Americans bring to the country. Two art pieces, one of a man wearing traditional Chinese clothing with his hair cut short was featured in the exhibition. The poppies that surrounded his face were a reference to China’s history of the Opium war and a remembrance of immigrant identity. The other is a phone screen of two women contained inside and Winnie the Pooh perched on top of it, reflecting the topic of Chinese Censorship and contrasting it to the general freedom that Americans enjoy.
Attendees of the art show were invited to vote for the three pieces of art that spoke to them the most with regards to the theme.
Congratulations to this year’s winners: 1st Prize to Shoshana Marcus for Human; 2nd Prize to Katherine Chen for Swirl; and 3rd Prize to Zachary Ulman for My Archive.
