At Billings Central, the art department is very active and takes part in different events in the Billings Catholic Schools community and the Billings area. Over Christmas vacation, art teacher Kari Adams hosted the 24-Hour Art Challenge for BCCHS students who have a passion for art. The participants had 24 hours to create various pieces of artwork, which were sold at the Art Gala hosted at Craft Local in downtown Billings on February 15th. For senior Julia Reger-Brown, this event allowed her to experiment and create a piece of art like none she had made before.
Reger-Brown has been very active in the BCCHS art department throughout her high school career. “While I’ve never actually been in an art class at Central, I’ve been heavily involved with the art department over the last four years. I am involved through the art club, which I have been the secretary of for the past two years.” Like other students, Reger-Brown has found a community within the art department that Adams has developed over the past four years. “The art department at Central feels like a family. Everyone is so kind and respectful to one another, and I think that is what I love most about it.” Thanks to the art department, Reger-Brown had the creative freedom to develop art that she is proud of.
During the 24-Hour Art Challenge, Reger-Brown created a special piece of art for the Art Gala. “This year, I only made one piece, which is an abstract painting of a face.” She spent countless hours developing the idea and experimenting with different colors and textures, making her artwork come to life. Like many of the other participating artists, Reger-Brown was pleased with the outcome of her project. “I am proud of it, because the way I experimented with color was out of my comfort zone.”
Young artists need to show off their artistic talents, and Adams has created a special way for her students to do this. The 24-Hour Art Challenge and Art Gala gave students a way to work hard and create art that they love and are proud of. Reger-Brown said, “I love participating in the art gala, because I enjoy seeing everyone put forth their best effort to create something amazing. It is so interesting to see what mediums other people use for their art, as well as their own individual styles.”
