Often dismissed as “creepy crawlies,” the insects that share our world are glittering and opulent when judged by an unprejudiced eye. The current work in the Young Artists Gallery at Hill Center makes this impossible to deny. Third grade artists at Maury Elementary School (1250 Constitution Ave. NE) have created larger-than-life portraits of our tiny neighbors. Some, like butterflies, are easy to love and already enjoy a sterling reputation. Others, including various species of spiders, are often seen as ugly, scary, or disgusting. This show will force you to reconsider your negative views.
Maury art instructor, Lauren Bomba, chose the theme as an exercise in observation and drawing techniques. Using pens and colored pencils, students drew and re-drew their chosen insects, with each iteration, asking their classmates for feedback on how to improve. As their focus and accuracy increased, so did their appreciation for the subtle color, form, and texture of their subjects. The final results are simply gorgeous. A big takeaway for the artists was to see, first-hand, that honest and specific feedback, especially from your peers, can be just as important as natural talent.
Sabal chose the black widow spider because he “likes very dangerous objects and things. In real life, they’re scary but if it’s a picture, it’s pretty much ok.” Frances went with a monarch butterfly because she feels she’s “better at 2D than 3D and the butterfly’s wings are flat.” She “started with the basic shape, then made it bigger and added more details.”
The show will hang in this gallery through March 15, 2025. Ms. Bomba invites you to visit and appreciate both the beauty of the insects and her students’ mastery of technique. And “consider how even the most misunderstood creatures are some of our most valuable community members. Can you imagine a DC summer without spiders helping out with the mosquitos?”
