In her first year as Greenfield School’s first fulltime art teacher, Jaquelynn Dortch could not help but beam as she pointed out the works of her Visual Art 1 students hanging in the University of Tennessee at Martin Fine Arts Building Gallery. Her excitement was even more evident when two of her art students received recognition as part of the High School Juried Exhibit.
Two works from Greenfield students placed among the 150 art pieces submitted from across West Tennessee. Ninth grader Brandon Bonilla won 3rd place in printmaking and tenth grader Lexia Sawyers won Honorable Mention in 3D sculpture. Bonilla called his printmaking illustration “Salty.” Sawyers’ plaster piece was entitled “You butter back off, pal!”
Ten additional pieces by Greenfield artists were included in the more than 100 selections displayed in the gallery February 28-March 4: Adriana Zarate, plaster; Chelsea Pence, colored pencil and charcoal; Jaylynn Hundley, relief print; Garrett Garner, marker and mixed media; Samuel Thum, oil pastel; and Hayden Smith, plaster.
Prior to the announcement of winners on the final day of the show, Greenfield students took a tour of the Fine Arts building and learned about the program’s options.
“It made my year seeing the students experience the Fine Arts Building and what could be the next chapter of their lives!” said Dortch, a graduate of the UTM arts program who taught four years in Humboldt before arriving in Greenfield for the 2021-22 school year.
Amanda Cochran accompanied Dortch and the class on the field trip to Martin.
The Greenfield Art 1 class traveled to Martin to learn more about the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Fine Arts program and see their own works hanging in the gallery as part of the High School Juried Exhibit. Those in attendance included (back row, from left to right) Brandon Bonilla, Caleb Puckett, Ryan Cascio, Chandler Finch, Samuel Thum, and Garrett Garner; (front row, left to right) Chelsea Pence, Lexia Sawyers, Adrianna Zarate, Kristiana Thomas, Kylie Dunlap, Jaylynn Hundley, Kaitlyn Fortner, and teacher Jaquelynn Dortch. Hayden Smith agreed to help with the artistic make up of the photo by taking to the floor.
Brandon Bonilla, a ninth grader, won 3rd place in printmaking with his work called “Salty.”
Tenth grader Lexia Sawyers won Honorable Mention in 3D sculpture with her plaster piece entitled “You butter back off, pal!”