Visitors invited to play ‘A Game of Telephone’ at CCHS AP art show

By Stephanie Yrungaray | [email protected]

AP students from Corner Canyon High School investigated first impressions and visual perceptions in a special combined art show running through April 1 at the Artcetera Gallery in Provo. 

Each year teachers Amelia Davis and Amanda Toler have students in their AP classes put on a student art show from start to finish. In the past, these shows have been separate and in a smaller gallery, but this year a larger gallery resulted in both classes putting on simultaneous art exhibits. 

Students in Toler’s AP drawing class all had to choose a thesis for an art show. Toler narrowed down ideas and the class voted on their favorite. 

“I’ve always had a hard time knowing who I am, and what I let define me quite a bit is what other people thought of me,” said CCHS Senior Elle Stoker. “I wanted to know what other people think about me and to compare it to what I think about myself.”

AP Art exhibits show “Corrected First Impressions.” (Stephanie Yrungaray/ City Journals)

  

Stoker’s idea was chosen by her class as the theme “Corrected First Impressions.” 

Each student stood in front of the class for one minute while their classmates anonymously wrote about the first impression they had made. 

“It was terrifying,” Stoker said. “We read them and studied them, then wrote up what we thought about ourselves and what wasn’t true about what they assumed about us. Then we created artwork.” 

Davis’ AP 2D design and photography class went through a similar voting process to determine the theme for their show. CCHS Senior Sage Peacock’s theme “A Game of Telephone” was chosen by the class.

“They took the word game of telephone, passing on a word and interpreting it, and did that visually,” Davis said. “They took a photo and the next person had to interpret that theme and take their own photo on that theme.”

Peacock said everyone depended on each other to get the entire set of six photos for each theme done and the results were very interesting. 

“We had such different creative processes but in the end, we were mostly able to get very close to each other’s theme,” Peacock said. “It was amazing that although we all have different ideas and art styles, we were still able to create cohesive artwork.” 

Both teachers said their students learned valuable skills from creating and executing the art exhibits. 

“Sage was the perfect curator,” Davis said. “This class has been my best class as far as working together and doing everything on their own. They were super motivated and awesome.” 

“[My students] really felt strongly about figuring out how to communicate in artwork people’s perception of them versus their own perception,” Toler said. “I noticed that a lot of them shifted the way they acted in front of people because they wanted to be perceived a little closer to how they perceive themselves.”

“A Game of Telephone” and “Corrected First Impressions” will be on exhibit at the Artcetera Student Gallery in the Provo Towne Centre through April 1.