Y'know, with the local Teen Arts festival last week and the struggles of challenge art, I've been thinking. What does being accepted into Challenge Art even accomplish? Sure, if you "got what it takes," and by that, I mean send in a piece for your application that literally looks like a stick figure, then most likely, you'll get into Challenge Art. There are so many actually talented people who are shut out because the art teachers don't appreciate their art style/method of working, while there are people like the popular kids who get praised for making a simple sunset or an exact replica of a painting they found online (I'll save the favoritism rant for the next chapter oof.) The problem with this teaching method is that WE DO NOT GET TAUGHT. What normally happens in Challenge Art is that the teacher assigns us a broad project, such as an acrylic painting of your choice. I just want to emphasize the "your" in this sentence because it comes into play in a second. After announcing the project, the teacher will send us (whether it be at home or the computer lab) to look for ideas. Most of the time, we will all have an idea of what we would like to create, and we are instructed to find *5-10 references, which usually end up being painting of other artists' work, which eventually become copied to the exact onto the students' canvases, then called their own.
Focus on that sentence for a moment.
"... become copied to the exact..."
"... then called their own."
The worst part of it is that when you come up with an idea to incorporate something from social media, such as a meme, a video game character, etc., the teacher (or at least ours) scolds us and shoves that idea aside because that is "copyrighted" and it isn't original enough. Original? You want original? Like I stated before, we are taught to take other artists' pieces, then replicate them. Eventually, these pieces get into award ceremonies such as the Teen Arts festival, then get awarded for their "creativity and hard work." Personally, I believe those who eventually get awarded and praised are the people who decide to shun the creativity that makes art, art! However, this does not apply to all artists, just the select few that I have encountered over the years in Challenge Art.
*In addition to that, completely unrelated but no one ever uses all of their references, they usually end up using a few and using the rest as swatch paper to test the colors on before painting.
Just to clarify, this is where I, and only myself, personally stand on the subject. Although there are several outlooks on Challenge Art, this is what I have experienced, and it wasn't as "creative" and "relaxing" as most would have thought. However, this outlook may have come from the various favoritisms and neglection coming from my specific Challenge Art teacher, but we'll save that for next time. ;)
