GNA CAMPUS — Every year the city of Wilkes-Barre celebrates the wide variety of talent its people have to offer. If you’re a Luzerne County native, you’ve probably heard of or have even been to the Fine Arts Fiesta. It’s held during the month of May and focuses on the many different art styles of people around the county. This could range from musical talent to seeing how someone sculpts a masterpiece.

In order to properly promote the event, the Fine Arts Fiesta Board of Directors enlists the help of students across the area to create a poster describing the details of the Fiesta and a unique portrayal of the art and music that is highlighted during the few days. The winner of the contest has their poster copied and displayed around different schools, businesses, etc. 

This year GNA senior Addison Bugdonovitch had the opportunity to submit her own poster. It features only three contrasting colors: navy blue, red, and orange-yellow. These colors are splashing out of a canvas with musical notes flowing along – a great representation of both the art and music aspect of the Fiesta. Although Addie received second place in the competition, she still made an expressive piece of art. With a wide range of talents, including musical and artistic, Addie has been involved in GNA’s art programs for 4 years but has been involved with art for as long as she can remember. 

The GNA Insider had the pleasure of sitting down with Addison to talk about the competition process and her own insight into the importance of art. 

What first got you interested in art?

Honestly, it’s a little hard to pinpoint it, since I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. But, something I’ve always enjoyed since I was a kid is reading comics and watching cartoons. So I think it’s pretty safe to say that seeing and enjoying the stories told through that art definitely made me want to make stories, worlds, and characters of my own.

How was the competition process for the Fine Arts Fiesta posters?

The competition factor for this felt a little overwhelming, I guess? Outside of the few people in my class with me, there were countless other students creating posters in the area, and I didn’t even know who they were. So honestly I wasn’t sure I’d have super great chances, just because I had no idea what ideas or quality other students in NEPA would provide. Basically, I didn’t know what I was up against, but I was pleasantly surprised to see I got 2nd place.

Do you believe that art in school is beneficial? Why or why not?

Yes, 100% beneficial. Art, in every form, belongs in schools and I believe it’s required for a complete education. We can’t just ignore the creative aspect of a kid’s life, we can’t downplay or discredit it either. And it’s not just about creativity; studies have shown that art classes can help the development of motor, language, and social skills in kids/teenagers, along with decision-making, risk-taking, and inventiveness. So yes, academics are good, athletics are good, but art is equally as important. And not just for the kids who aren’t as successful academically or who want to pursue an artistic career, but for every student.

If you could say some words of inspiration to an aspiring artist, what would you say?

Don’t put yourself down if you’re not where you want to be. Getting to be good at art takes time. Even the greatest artists started out knowing nothing and creating pieces that might not have been the best. That is okay. I’m not an amazing artist, I’m not a perfect artist, and that is okay too because I am learning. You don’t need to be the greatest right away, it takes time, dedication, and practice to get better. Honestly, that’s something I forget a lot, and I like to compare myself to other artists and attack myself for not being as skilled. It’s easy to see a work of art and say, “Wow, that is amazing and I’ll never be as good as them.” But what you don’t see when you look at someone’s art is the years of practice they have, the hundreds of other worse pieces they made during their journey, or the pieces they don’t share because they feel they might not be as good. So just don’t put yourself down, keep creating things, and most importantly, have fun!