While Lane Tech offers nearly twenty different art classes, they all came together for the first student art show of the year. On Oct. 23, doors opened to room 147 and welcomed the entire school community to join the artists for the grand opening of the gallery. As visitors walked in, they were greeted with a table full of candy and various student made films playing on the TV to the right of the entrance.
While some may have come to the gallery opening purely for the free candy, others came to see their friends and support their artwork.
Senior Lucy Arnold wasn’t merely a viewer of the artwork as three of her own art pieces were also included in this gallery. “I’m in independent study art with Ms. Chisholm, I’m in digital mixed media with Ms. Faletto, and I’m in metalsmithing with Ms. Novak. I have a calligraphy piece, a self portrait painting, and I have a felt piece [in the gallery],” Arnold said.
This self portrait painting created for independent study is titled “Loosey Goosey.” “It is a picture of me in my shower cap,” Arnold said, “and it has bubbles with my face on it. I just wanted to make something silly, because my whole AP portfolio was really serious, and I wanted to make something fun.”
Another one of her pieces included in the gallery titled “Bert and Ernie” is a felt keychain created for her metalsmithing class. “[The prompt] was ‘iconic duo,’” Arnold said, “so I made Bert and Ernie because I love Sesame Street.”
Many of the artists included in the fall art show were in attendance at the gallery opening. “I came to see my art, also all my friends’ art, and to see all the other classes’ art,” said junior Brenna Lacey.
Lacey had a piece from her Mixed Media I class included in this gallery. “I did one of the murals over there — it’s about healthcare workers and the importance they have and how they help Chicago,” Lacey said.
This was Lacey’s first time attending a student art show at Lane, although many have frequently attended this quarterly display of art.
Senior Lexie Antoine, a frequent art show attendee, had her art featured for the first time at this gallery. Her piece for Photography II was included from an experimental assignment with ringlights along with many of her classmates’ pieces.
“I’ve wanted to take [photography] since freshman year,” Antoine said. “I was just really interested in being a better photographer.” Being that this is the first art class that she has taken at Lane, Antoine said, “It’s really fun, and it’s a nice way to end the day.”
While many of the artists included in the gallery attended its opening, junior Milo Soss attended to see student work with his friends. “I thought a lot of them were super great,” Soss said, “and I was surprised that high school kids can do that.”
Although he has never taken a visual art class during his time at Lane thus far, he has always had an interest in printmaking.
“I really think people should choose whatever medium speaks to them,” Soss said, “so they’re all good, it’s just that printmaking probably speaks the most to me.”
While students are the ones with their work being featured, teachers are the ones setting up the show and guiding the lessons that led to the creation of the pieces included. Some of the projects in the art show include pinch pots made by Ceramics I students and vases made from paper templates by Ceramics II students.
For those seeking inspiration for their artistic endeavors, attending the student art show is a lens into the minds of fellow students and a never ending bounty of influence. The fall art gallery will be open until the week preceding winter break before teachers prepare for the next art show on Jan. 13, 2026.
