High School Students Gather for Art, Fellowship, and Collaboration

The Hansen Museum was filled with energy and creativity last Thursday as students from Norton, Phillipsburg, Brewster, and Smith Center gathered for the High School Art Student Mixer.

The morning began with students wandering through the 49th Annual High School Art Show, taking time to view not only their own pieces but also the artwork of their peers from neighboring schools. Following their time in the gallery, several students took turns speaking to the group about their works, sharing insight into their creative processes, inspirations, and techniques. It was a meaningful opportunity for young artists to explain their vision and learn from one another.

Lunch was catered by Main Street Pizza, and students enjoyed delicious pizza while continuing their conversations and connections. It was especially encouraging to see students from different schools sitting together, visiting, and getting to know one another. The lunch hour provided a relaxed setting for friendships to form and for conversations about art — and life — to continue beyond the gallery walls.

A highlight of the event was a collaborative drawing challenge designed to emphasize teamwork and creativity. Students worked in small groups, rotating every five minutes to build upon what the previous person had drawn. Themes included Underwater Worlds, On Safari Adventures, Alien Planets, One Ecosystems, and Amusement Park Adventures. The results were imaginative, energetic, and often surprising. Each finished drawing reflected not only artistic ability, but also cooperation and adaptability as students learned to build on one another’s ideas. At the conclusion of the mixer, students returned to their schools proudly holding their collaborative creations and, we hope, carrying fresh inspiration with them.

The 49th Annual High School Art Show will remain on display through Sunday, March 1st. The public is encouraged to stop by the Hansen Museum to enjoy this impressive collection of student artwork before the exhibition closes.

Opening March 6th, visitors will have the opportunity to experience an array of wonders, unusual phenomena, and captivating curiosities in the new National Geographic exhibition, Spectacle. Inspired by the book SPECTACLE: Rare and Astonishing Photographs, this exquisite photography exhibition features striking images captured by some of the world’s finest photographers. The images showcase extraordinary natural formations, remarkable life forms, moments of celebration, and scenes of awe-inspiring beauty — all highlighting the wonder of our planet and the importance of preserving it. Spectacle invites visitors to marvel at the diverse and truly remarkable world in which we live.