OAHS grad’s work wins Congressional art contest, will hang in Capitol
EASTON – Aeden Marcus found inspiration for her recent work in the very apron she wore to art class.
That illustration, “Room 126,” recently won Best in Show in the Congressional Art Competition in the Massachusetts 4th District and will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC for a year, said Kristyn Shea, OAHS art teacher and department chairman.
“The subject is personal to me as it is myself wearing the art apron I always used in my high school art classes,” said Marcus, who graduated from Oliver Ames High School last weekend. “I feel as though this one art piece sums up all the art, messes, and learning that I enjoyed as an art student.
“An artist's apron is like armor, and all the paint and mess on it tells a story of each previous battle to get to a final piece of artwork.”
Marcus’s incredibly detailed illustration using colored pencils.
“It was quite an intense technique that involved mapping out the general guidelines for the shapes of the fabric, and then smaller guidelines for each stripe of the pattern and each piece of thread,” she said. “Once I had mapped out a section lightly, I went over with many layers of different colors to capture the different lighting and shadows in different parts of the composition.”
Marcus said the phone call from US Rep. Jake Auchincloss letting her know she won was the perfect ending to her senior year.
“It feels so amazing to know my work will be hanging in the Capitol,” she said. “I poured so much time and love into this piece, so to get this recognition for my talent in a pool of really fabulous artwork is incredibly rewarding. I love that this program exists nationally to celebrate and treasure student artwork.”
She hopes to make the journey to DC to view her piece on display if possible.
The work’s name, “Room 126,” is the room number of Marcus’ art class, though this past year the class has been online, and is a tribute to Shea. Marcus urged residents to enjoy the upcoming virtual art show to enjoy work by OAHS students.
“I cannot give enough credit to Ms. Shea for her role in my artistic journey,” Marcus said. “She was also kind enough to let me steal the actual physical art apron from school, and I will continue to wear it while creating art for as long as I possibly can.”
She also thanked her family for their support.
“They made sure I cared for myself and my sanity at least as much as I cared about my artwork,” she said.
Marcus will study environmental science and engineering at Harvard University this fall and said she pursues art for enjoyment.
“I am currently focusing on a more STEM-related field for the next chapter of my education, so fine arts as a career is not my current goal,” she said. “That being said, this summer I am focusing my efforts into starting to do some commission portraiture work through Etsy as a way to continue enjoying and exploring art.”
Marcus’ placement marks the 10th time in the 13 years the OA Art Department has had students enter into the Congressional Art Competition that an OA artist has received the honor, Shea said.
OAHS junior Tatum Perry also won first place in drawing category for her piece entitled “Tune and Tone.” This is also the 10th time an OA artist has received this honor, Shea said.
Source:
Donna Whitehead