Mt. Carmel Academy student art adorns gallery at UL in Lafayette

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

Six Mount Carmel Academy students have digital artwork on display through Sept. 24 in the Louisiana NEXT-GEN Juried High School Art Exhibition at the Fletcher Hall Gallery on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s campus. The exhibit, themed “New Normal,” was open to all Louisiana ninth through 12th graders.











Jaime Aguirre, a Media Arts I & II, 3-D animation and design teacher, submitted digitally created art from students: Ali Hooper who created the graphic "Synesthesia" (above),












Grace Chachere's "A Fan Makes a Wish"  (at left) 













Tatum Hankins' Salvation (right) and Cassi Speziale's "Recital" (see below), all four from the class of 2021.











Madison Pichon's "Walls" (seen further in story)

  and Nashia Landry's "Night Light" (on left), were current seniors selected for the show. 

They were judged by instructors in the university’s Fine Arts department.

“I was really proud of what they did,” Aguirre said. “The five that were created on (Adobe) Illustrator were exemplary pieces. Everything that they learned to create these pieces, they learned in two or three months. They are amazing. When I still look at them, I am so impressed with what they’ve done over a short period of time.”

Prior to COVID, MCA held an in-person art show so students could display and sell their works, Aguirre said. In lieu of a live show in 2021, Aguirre created a digital art show to give students opportunities to let their work be seen. When he heard about the college show from the Louisiana Art Education Association of which he is a member, he jumped at the chance and invited six students to participate. Their works were matted and framed.

Inspiration for their art
Speziale’s piece “Recital,” which she created in Media Arts II class using Illustrator and the theme of “Alone-Together,” won the top award in the “Graphic Design” category.

“This theme made me think of how I had to continue my dance training during quarantine,” said Speziale, who started producing digital art during her senior year. Being included in the show “validates the work that I put into this piece and inspires me to produce more. I plan on majoring in digital advertising while attending LSU. It allows me the freedom to share thoughts and emotions in a way that allows people to interpret the art for themselves.”


Pichon also created her work, “Walls,” in Media Arts II using Illustrator. She was inspired by the feelings of isolation many experienced throughout quarantine.

“Much time was spent alone with only computers or phones, and these devices were extremely helpful in keeping us connected to others during these difficult times,” Pichon said. “I wanted to convey both the sadness felt and the importance of connecting with others during the pandemic.”

Pichon said inclusion in the art exhibition “is an inspiration for me to create additional pieces. Art is a valuable tool for expression because it allows us to capture feelings and ideas that may be difficult to convey through words alone.”

This is the first time Landry’s art has been showcased, and it made her value her work. She expects to use her artistic gifts when she graduates by majoring in architecture in college.

“My inspiration was not so much the struggle of COVID-19, but how the effects of COVID-19 showed me how important it is to share, as well as cherish, the time you have with your family,” Landry said. “Technology was very beneficial in allowing me to remain in contact with others while being in quarantine. This inspired me to incorporate both technology and family into my work.”


On display through Sept. 24
This was the first year for the high school exhibition, said Michael Eble, curator at the Fletcher Hall Gallery. He said it was created to give high school students – who may have missed opportunities to display their art because of the pandemic – a chance to be recognized. Students submitted 105 pieces.

“It’s one of the stronger high school shows I’ve seen in the last couple of years,” Eble said. “There is a really nice range of work in different mediums, including ceramic work.

"During the exhibit there are a couple of themes that pop up. You could see that kids were channeling in on what COVID was doing to them … and, then, there is an entire gallery of portraiture work (photography, paintings, graphics); then fantasy – what they are reading, consuming in TV shows and video games; and another gallery that features spaces, landscapes, rooms and interiors and a few outliers that don’t fit any of those themes.”

Mount Carmel Academy was the only New Orleans-area school to participate in the juried exhibition. Other high schools included Buckeye High School, Episcopal School of Acadiana, Lake Charles-Boston Academy, LSU Laboratory School, Ovey Comeaux High School, St. Thomas More, Southside High School and Woodlawn High School.

The exhibit is open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m.-noon. It’s in Fletcher Hall Gallery in Fletcher Hall, room 207, 421 East Lewis St., Lafayette. Parking is available at the Girard Park Circle Parking Garage.

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