Grosse Pointe students among those chosen for student art show at DIA

DETROIT/GROSSE POINTES — A future Frida Kahlo or Claude Monet could be showing their early work at the Detroit Institute of Arts right now.

Through July 31, the museum is hosting its first Wayne County High School Student Art Exhibition, a juried art exhibition that showcases more than 80 artworks created by 60 students from 20 different Wayne County schools, including Grosse Pointe South High School and University Liggett School.

Among them is Vivian Leech, of Grosse Pointe Park, who just completed her junior year at South. Two of Leech’s photos were selected for the exhibition, and one of them — “Slide Eye” — was used on the exhibition poster, to her stunned — but happy — surprise. “Slide Eye” has earned a number of awards for Leech, including a silver national medal and an honorable mention from the Grosse Pointe Artists Association’s promising artist show.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Leech said of being selected for the exhibition. “It’s a great group to be surrounded by. There’s so many amazing artists. … It’s really cool to see how everyone around Wayne County is expressing themselves through their art.”

That was part of the impetus for the exhibition.

“When I was a student at Garden City High School, I didn’t know I wanted to be an artist,” said Tyler Taylor, an associate educator with the DIA. “I had never been to the DIA, and I didn’t know there was a place in my life for art.”

Taylor said he hoped the students would “find inspiration” in their peers and a place for themselves in the museum.

Students, teachers, parents and Wayne County officials were on hand to take a first look at the exhibition June 28.

DIA Director Salvador Salort-Pons said the DIA has been providing students with the opportunity to share their artwork for more than 80 years, but this is the first time that opportunity has been extended to students from the entire county.

“Your stories matter, and the DIA is here to help tell those stories,” Salort-Pons told the artists. “The artwork in this exhibition covers a lot of topics and tells a lot of stories. … We hope the students will think of the DIA as a town square, as a gathering place for the community. … This is your DIA.”

Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans said his wife, Renata C. Seals — a member of the DIA Board of Directors — championed the idea of a student art exhibition.

“One of the things that’s critically important to me, and always has been, is (that the) Detroit Institute of Arts (is) a healthy, free institution,” said Evans, noting that general admission is free to residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties due to a voter-approved millage. “But free doesn’t make it inclusive, and free doesn’t make it inviting. An exhibition like this does.”

Evans congratulated the students for their participation and said the exhibition shows “the different perspectives we all have.” He hopes it provides an entry point for newcomers to visit the museum and engage with other exhibitions and programs.

“Part of the DIA’s mission is to (help visitors) find personal meaning in art,” said Jason Gillespie, Walters Family Programs Director of Education at the DIA. “This exhibition is the embodiment (of that).”

Two works by recent Liggett graduate Isabella Vidal, of Grosse Pointe City — “La Poderosa” and “Percepción de un Mestizo” — were chosen for the show.

“It was really shocking at first,” Vidal said of learning her works would be included. “It was really an honor to have your work displayed on the walls of the DIA.”

Classmate and fellow Class of 2022 Liggett graduate Sarah Riashi, of Grosse Pointe Park, concurred. Riashi’s piece, “Two Cents,” is featured in the exhibition.

“I was really excited, especially just coming here all these years for field trips,” Riashi said. “I was happy to see other people’s work, too.”

Other local students with work in the show include Ellie Martin, a recent South graduate, recent Liggett graduate Gabrielle Awada, and Liggett students Sophia Kalyvas and Giovanna Randazzo, both of whom will be seniors in the fall.

Helen Kendall, a middle and upper school art teacher at Liggett, saw about six of her students selected for the show.

“On my end, I get so close to the work,” Kendall said while touring the exhibition. “To see that other people see what I see in (my students’) work is affirming.”

Kendall said it was also exciting for her students to be able to see their work alongside students they wouldn’t typically get a chance to exhibit with.

“The next generation is represented here today,” said longtime DIA Board Chair Eugene Gargaro, of Grosse Pointe Shores. “This is the future of our city and our cultural community. And what better way to welcome them and to make them feel at home here in the museum than to have their work here in the museum? It’s a win-win.”

Given the large number of potential applicants — Wayne County is the largest county in Michigan and one of the most populous in the nation — Taylor said they limited the pool to high school students for the inaugural exhibition. They may open it to students in other grades in the future.

“To have this group of young students from Wayne County exhibit their artwork in our (museum) is just a fabulous event for everyone in Wayne County,” Gargaro said. “For this group of students to understand they can exhibit their work in a world-class (institution) like ours has got to be gratifying for them, and (also is) for us.”

Admission to the Wayne County High School Student Art Exhibition is included with general museum admission and is, therefore, free to residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The DIA is located at 5200 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. For more information, visit www.dia.org.