Bullock museum exhibit includes the works of two Hutto High students
HUTTO — Two Hutto High School students are getting statewide recognition for their artwork during the nationally recognized Youth Art Month exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.
The museum annually showcases 100 original art pieces by students, kindergarten through 12th grade, from across Texas.
Hutto High’s Brooklyn Colquitt and Lili Pelizzari had their artwork selected for the exhibition.
“It’s a big honor,” said Hutto art teacher, Lauren Glover.
The selections are a milestone, Glover said, because in 15 years as an art teacher she has never had a student’s work chosen.
“It’s a big deal. We’ve had not one but two students from Hutto High School selected this year,” she said.
The pupils’ submissions were part of the Texas Art Education Association’s District of Distinction. Artwork is submitted in the fall and TAEA then judges the pieces and chooses which advance to the Bullock Museum.
All of the artwork is very different, including Pelizarri’s and Colquitt’s.
As a senior, Pelizarri’s art piece, “Midnight Melodies,” was a representation of her Sustained Investigation, an Advanced Placement art and design portfolio she has been creating during the school year.
Bones and music portrayed are artistic subjects that intrigue her, though her tastes vary, she said. The piece was one of her first projects of the school year.
“Both of those things interest me,” Pelizzari said.
She likes the lines of bones and the challenge of how to incorporate music into her creation.
The senior also used Prismacolor, which she said is known to be a challenging medium.
Pelizarri’s AP art teacher and the art department liaison, Gabriela Flores, said, “You have to practice with the medium, but Lili did a very good job on it. Her piece is very well done; the anatomy is spot on.”
Colquitt is a sophomore in Glover’s beginners’ classes for art and drawing.
With pencil, Colquitt drew a still life of fruit in a woven basket titled “Fructas Vitae” – “fruit of life.”
“Brooklyn’s piece was very well done,” Glover said. “Her drawing was proportionate, and it had light reflections. I loved the texture on the basket. As a technical piece, it really stood out to me.”
Glover said she used Colquitt’s piece as an example in class for the other students to see what a quality piece of artwork looked like.
“We’re extremely proud of (Lili and Brooklyn) to be honored and highlighted in this way,” Flores said. “It’s amazing.”
Pelizarri’s and Colquitt’s artwork can be viewed at the Bullock Museum through March on the third-floor rotunda, 1800 Congress Ave.
Later in the month, Gov. Greg Abbott and his wife, Cecilia, will choose 10 pieces from the exhibit to hang in the Governor’s Mansion for the next year.
Youth Art Month is administered by the nonprofit Council for Art Education. This year’s theme is “Healing Through Color.”
