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Meet student artists, hear original music at Mt. Lebanon High School

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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For the annual Mt. Lebanon High School Art Show, students must do more than simply put their work on display.

“They have to be ready to engage the community and answer questions about each piece, and also their experience in AP art and their overall portfolio,” visual arts teacher Jennifer Rodriguez said about her advanced placement students. “This is really them serving as curators of their own exhibits. It’s like a 21st-century-relevant experience for artists to know what that’s like.”

The school will serve as a gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. April 20, when members of the community are invited to take a look at the wealth of young Mt. Lebanon talent.

Hannah Ishizaki

Among the AP art students is senior Hannah Ishizaki, who will add a special dimension to this year’s proceedings.

“She chose select works from the AP portfolios, and she wrote original scores to go along,” Rodriguez said. “She will have two 20-minute sessions with her live quartet, and we will have the artwork on a 72-inch TV screen accompanied by the music.”

Already a well-established violinist and composer – she is the youngest female composer ever to have had a piece of music premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra – Hannah will be joined by Olivia Wagner on viola, Rachel Martin on double bass and Will Buerger on percussion from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hari Delgado will perform on piano at 7.

The evening also features the unveiling of the annual Senior Blue Devil Mural, created by Alyssa Scott.

More than 500 pieces of art will be on display, according to Rodriguez, who chairs the Mt. Lebanon Fine Arts Department for secondary students and sponsors the Mt. Lebanon High School Art Club.

Each AP student – there are 17 this year, the most in many years – must create a portfolio of 24 pieces, plus students in other art classes are contributing more than 100 other pieces, both two- and three-dimensional.

The art show serves as a demonstration of the opportunities available for youngsters who pursue advanced placement, and Rodriguez reported that the number of AP students is increasing to about two dozen next year.

Work by senior AP artists will be on display in the high school’s center court, and juniors will be situated in the C-20 lobby. And for added fun, visitors can take “selfies” throughout the evening with some of history’s famed artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Bob Ross, Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Rene Magritte.

The event is free, and light refreshments will be served.

AP art students display their work.

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