One of the goals of Xavier High School is to allow the students to excel and grow as people through their individual, unique talents. The place that exhibits this concept of growing into oneself is none other than room 133 – the art room. Many pieces of art, small to large, have been produced in the art room by students with different stories. Whether it is from just simple boredom or the inspiration to send out a message to others, Xavier artists have painted, sculpted, drawn and created their own visions while growing and perfecting them along the way.

Senior artists, Nathan Hagarty, Nhi Vo and Ashley Riley have created many works of art while attending Xavier and they continue to do so after they graduate. Hagarty explains how his love of art has allowed him to find the perfect major for college.

“I will be attending Iowa State in the Fall with a major in Industrial Design, which is basically the design of tangible products that people would use. I wanted to pick a major that involved a little bit of art and also some engineering since that is another area of interest for me. I thought Industrial Design would be a perfect combination of the two,” Hagarty said.

Nhi Vo, who came to Xavier her junior year as a transfer student from Vietnam, finds inspiration in visionary artists and accredits her art skills to endless practice.

“There are a lot of great artists out there, and when I see their work, I get inspired. I thought, if others could do it, I could too with enough practice. And so every time I draw, even if it’s really ugly, I know that it is practice. I’ll get better the more I draw and that motivates me. I also want to draw things I like, including characters from shows, movies, or video games,” Vo said.

From all of the projects the seniors have created throughout the last four years, they must feel as though they have their best piece of work. Ashley Riley ‘s favorite and biggest piece means a lo to her as an artist.

“My greatest piece that I have made this year is a portrait of one of my classmates. It was the largest portrait I have ever drawn and it took me a long time to complete. I feel like this portrait showed what I had been trying to achieve in the past four years,” Riley said.

Currently, Hargarty is the leader in creating a collaborative class sculpture in 3D design that will be placed in the library. Art teacher and art club moderator Mrs. Jessica Budde describes the way seniors have inspired others and why art is something anyone should consider.

“If a student is willing to put in the time and practice that Nathan, Nhi and Ashley have they could also be a great artist. Art is something that can be taught we just all start out at different skill levels coming into it. Art is like any other discipline; the more time you devote to it the more successful you will be at achieving your goals,” Budde said.

With dedication and just a little discipline, anyone can pick up a brush or a pencil and create a vision that can be shared with others and hopefully inspire people to create as well. The artwork is on display in the art hallway.