The Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Arts, a nonprofit organization that supports arts education and programming, have partnered once again for the third annual GUSD Senior Show, on display through Saturday, June 13, at the ace/121 Gallery.
The exhibition opened with a reception on May 20, featuring works by 30 graduating students from all five GUSD high schools. The show includes paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics and mixed-media pieces, and aims to provide students with a professional gallery platform to display their work while highlighting the next generation of artists.
During the opening reception, Glendale Arts also announced the recipients of its inaugural Student Artist Scholarship, awarding graduating seniors Alena Kim and Matilda King with $500 each.
“The Glendale Arts Student Artist Scholarship was created to invest directly in emerging young artists at a pivotal point in their creative journeys,” Glendale Arts Board Chair Lilit Harutyunyan said in a news release. “At Glendale Arts, we believe in creating meaningful opportunities for artists to showcase their talent, perspectives, and stories, and that begins by supporting the next generation with a platform where they can feel seen, supported, and encouraged to share their voices with the world.”
Kim, an 18-year-old senior at Crescenta Valley High School, submitted two paintings titled “Labeled Before I Speak” and “Preserved” for the exhibition. She explained that both pieces reflect on her experiences growing up Korean American and navigating questions surrounding identity and belonging.
In “Preserved,” she painted herself inside a kimchi jar surrounded by side dishes and hands.
Preserved, 15 x 15 in.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
“For me, growing up Korean American and trying to figure out what my identity is, I was often in the middle,” Kim said. “There are often two worlds next to me … and I really wanted to symbolize that the jar is a confinement, but it’s also a transformation. It’s kind of like starting to get to know my identity, and when it’s time, I can show my identity off to my world.”
In “Labeled Before I Speak,” she said she focused on the stereotypes and microaggressions she has experienced throughout her life.
Labeled Before I Speak, 12 x 18 in.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
“I purposely made my facial expression blank on the piece, so it looks like I’m not showing any pain or anger,” Kim said. “I don’t want the labels to win me over, because I want to get out of the assumptions of these remarks and be my own self.”
She said receiving the Glendale Arts scholarship “genuinely shocked” her, and she’s grateful for the recognition as someone who never took art classes outside of school and instead learned through practice and free online resources.
“This scholarship affirmed something I truly believe: passion matters more than access,” she said.
Kim added that she hopes visitors who see her work “feel seen,” especially those from different cultural backgrounds who may share similar experiences.
She plans to attend California State University, Long Beach this fall, where she hopes to eventually enter the school’s animation program and pursue work in visual effects and environmental art.
From Herbert Hoover High School, King displayed a ceramic sculpture titled “Dragon Vase.” The 18-year-old Glendale resident said she has been interested in art since childhood, but became more serious about it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matilda King.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
King originally created the sculpture earlier this year for a class assignment before later submitting it to the exhibition.
“I hope that people can think a little less about the serious side of things,” she said.
King plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley in the fall and is currently undecided on a major, though she is interested in art technology, ceramics and geology. She also credited her ceramics teacher, Gina Brownstein, for supporting and encouraging her artistic growth.
The exhibition also features photography by 18-year-old Emanoel Davoodi, who submitted two photographs titled “Urban Overlook” and “Quiet Side of Glendale.”
Emanoel Davoodi.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
Davoodi, who moved to Glendale from Iran about 12 years ago, said his photographs intentionally capture different perspectives of the city, from the “crowded downtown streets” to the “quieter hills” near Brand Park.
Urban Overlook.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
“I want people to see the other side of Glendale, because there’s not just one side of Glendale,” Davoodi said. “It’s either a bunch of communities together, or it’s just quiet and nothing around.”
The Quiet Side of Glendale.
(Glendale Arts/Submitted)
Davoodi, a Daily High School student, explained that he first became interested in photography after taking high school classes and has since continued exploring landscape and city photography. He plans to continue taking photography courses in college and is also interested in learning more about Photoshop and digital editing.
In all, through paintings, sculptures and photographs, the students used the exhibition to reflect on things like identity, culture, community and personal experiences. The GUSD Senior Show continues to be free and is open to the public through Saturday, June 13, at ace/121 Gallery in Glendale.
GUSD Senior Art Show
WHEN: Through Saturday, June 13
WHERE: ace/121 Gallery, 121 N. Kenwood Street, Glendale
COST: Free
INFO: ace121gallery.com