The Art Haven

The Art Haven is a student-centric art gallery designed to empower high school students with the confidence to promote their artwork and curate exhibitions.

Artist Call

Submit your interest for the 2024 Senior Showcase to sasamms@kern.org. Selections are made by a jury of students and staff.
Deadline to Apply: February 13, 2024

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Senior Showcase

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 11, 2024 – 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Exhibition Dates: April 11, 2024 – May 14, 2024

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SENIOR SHOWCASE – Heterogeneity

Heterogeneity is a collection of artworks created by the class of 2024 that illustrates the personal element of diversity that they bring to our unique campus. It celebrates the culmination of their high school education and creative ability.

The opening reception is a special event to celebrate student artwork, art culture at Valley Oaks, and the CTE Visual & Commercial Arts program. Attendees can expect light refreshments, lively music, and plenty of student artists with their original artwork. The gallery team and facilitating teachers look forward to visiting you at this special event.

Entry to this event is free.

Eligible Applicants

Any student in the class of 2024. You can submit an older work or a whole new project. It can be from an art class or your own personal collection.

Interested Applicants

Email request for entry into the show are made to Mrs. Samms at sasamms@kern.org. Additional information will be needed from interested applicants. This includes a brief proposal detailing your work and an image or a detailed sketch of your work. The content must be in line with the show description: a positive interpretation of the personal element of diversity that you bring to the campus. The work can be literal or abstract.

Accepted Mediums

This includes painting, photographic/digital print, sculpture, or sketch/drawing. We anticipate a full show, so we are limiting artists to one entry. Your artwork should be framed, mounted, and accompanied by any hardware you require. The Art Haven gallery team will handle its display. Show selections are determined by a jury consisting of the CTE Visual & Commercial Arts Capstone Students and VOCS Art Instructors.

Application Fee: No application fee.

Artwork Delivery and Collection Protocols:

All artwork must be delivered on March 19th, between 9:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Our curators, gallery designers, and art handlers will be available to receive your work. The gallery team will also be there to assist you when you come to collect your artwork on May, 17, 2024.

Dress Code:

Artists joining the exhibition will be required to dress for the occasion. The dress code for the evening is semi-formal: dresses, pant suits, sport coats, khaki’s, etc.

Vision

We, Valley Oaks High School CTE Visual & Commercial Arts students, aim to promote the arts and art culture at our Bakersfield Campus. Through hosting art shows, installing campus beautification projects, and supporting art enrichment, we hope to inspire ambition and creativity for all who visit our campus.

For the 2023-24 school year, our gallery will feature two shows. Those events are Metamorphosis (December 2023 to January 2024) and our Senior Showcase (April 2024 – May 2024). Receptions will be hosted for both shows.

It is important to note that information on this site is updated regularly as The Art Haven is a newly established student-led project. Therefore juries, curating, and exhibition assemblies are limited to planning and editing during student class times. Additionally, the exhibition and studio spaces are shared with other programs. As we honor the schedules for these shared spaces we thank you for your sensitivity to our strict schedules. Please note that artwork displayed in our gallery cannot be stored past designated pickup dates or outside of pick-up times. Artwork that is not collected by a given deadline is subject to be discarded. We thank you in advance for your invaluable support as we launch The Art Haven.

Team

Kindly Note: that deadlines for this application are strict as this is a student-led exhibition. Therefore juries, curating, and exhibition assemblies are limited to student class times. Additionally, the exhibitions we host are in a shared space. In order for us to honor the times we have reserved the gallery area we ask for your sensitivity to this schedule. Please note that artwork cannot be stored past the pickup date and time. Artwork that is not collected by the deadline is subject to be discarded. We thank you in advance for your invaluable support of this exhibition at our very own gallery, The Art Haven.