CASPER, Wyo. – A new gallery exhibit is showcasing the creative work by Natrona County High School photo students.
The exhibit, installed this week by NCHS art teacher Christy Johnston at Scarlow’s Art & Coffee, features one piece each by roughly 60 students made during this school year in the Photo I class.
“My students have been working really hard over the last three weeks getting their final portfolio prepared,” said Johnston, who has been teaching art in the school district for more than a decade, and started at NCHS this past fall.
For this exhibit, each student chose their favorite piece from their entire portfolio they made this semester. “They had to prepare all of the work themselves, write the gallery tags, get the image ready for printing,” she said. “It was a really good life experience for them to have this opportunity at such a young age, a gallery experience is pretty rare even as an adult, it can be hard to get into a gallery space.”
In addition to the gallery print, students were required to upload a portfolio of five pieces, which can be viewed by gallery visitors via a unique QR code printed on each gallery tag.
The students were given different assignments over the semester, challenging them to explore lighting, composition and a variety of subjects. They were also required to learn basic camera skills, such as manual shutter and aperture settings and white balance.
“It’s a challenge, it’s a very technical art form,” she said. “They have to understand the principles and elements of art, and understand the technical aspects as well.”
“They have to get a good grasp of that throughout the course in Photography I, and if they want to continue then they can take Photography II, and we have a pretty good enrollment for that too.”
Johnston said she enjoyed watching the creative choices and evolution made by many of the students over the year. “This is really kind of a culmination of all their knowledge and desire and creative expression,” she said, “so that was really cool.”
An artists reception will be held with the students at Scarlow’s Art & Coffee in downtown Casper on Thursday, May 30, from 4 to 7 p.m. The show will hang through June 27.