Passion, patience, and perseverance are the three words that came up when discussing what art at OBA has taught three of our seniors. Over the past several years, art at OBA has become the passion of many students. While some students have had that passion throughout their life, some did not develop it until they really dove in.
This year, seniors Becca Benjamin and Creighton Hofen, won the Art Excellence Award for Visual Art along with, junior Lawson Morgan. Last year, senior Reagan Redelsperger won this same award as a junior. These are the highest level awards given to the top Oklahoma students. Twenty-two Oklahoma students received the award and three of them were OBA students!
However, while talking with the three seniors, Benjamin, Hofen, and Redelsperger, they kept touching on the fact that they were not “overnight sensations.” Their commitment to bettering their art was a theme throughout our conversation. A key aspect of their growth was art teacher Mrs. Russell. The seniors said of Mrs. Russell that she has a good balance of teaching and pushing students outside their comfort zone to achieve outstanding results. Not only is she her student’s biggest fan, but she is also just as invested in her student’s well-being. She constantly comes alongside them to give them a new perspective that allows their art to flourish.
For all three seniors, pursuing art did not come without its sacrifices. Redelsperger’s love of art started at a young age. She knew it was something she wanted to pursue throughout her high school career. She spoke of having to give up class time with her peers so that she could take seven years of art classes at OBA. Not to mention, the countless weekend and summer commitments that have allowed her to better her art and pursue her passion. Redelsperger attended a pre-college program in Rhode Island last summer for six weeks and plans to attend the Quartz Mountain summer program this summer along with Benjamin.
Unlike Redelsperger, Benjamin’s love for art is something that has developed over time. As a middle school student, Benjamin just took art as part of the curriculum. Then, in high school, something switched. Benjamin attributed that to Mrs. Russell’s keen eye for art and artists. Benjamin has had to give up weekends and weeknights to finish her art projects on time. Patience was the key thing Benjamin touched on when they were asked about their art. You cannot spend an hour and be done with a project, it takes hours or even days.
Hofen is somewhat of a balance of Redelsperger and Benjamin when it comes to his art journey. He’s always drawn and doodled for as long as he can remember, but through Mrs. Russell’s teaching, he has developed his skill tremendously. He feels like he’s been working toward being great at art and with winning the Art Excellence Award, it solidified that. Hofen discussed persevering through projects that were not his favorite, to finish something that looked great. He was committed to pushing through, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.
Overall, art at OBA has had an impact on our students. Now, these students are taking principles they have learned in art and applying them to other aspects of their lives. Music and science were just two of the areas they mentioned, although we know it will carry over into more areas in the future. Congratulations, students, on your achievements and commitment!
