School-wide talent on display at Mount Si High Festival of the Arts

For more than five years, Mount Si High School has spotlighted student creativity at its annual Festival of the Arts. This year's festival, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 20, brings new talent and more arts from all realms.

Fall City artist and Mount Si parent Inga Rouches has taken on the responsibility of organizing the festival, collecting a number of submissions to be presented in the Wildcat Court.

"It might not be quite as big as years past, but it will be more intimate," Rouches said. "Traditionally, it's been in the library, but I think the Wildcat Court lends itself better to an art show because it's more of an empty space and will be a great backdrop for art to fill up."

Not limiting the pieces of art to students taking art classes, Rouches has asked all teachers throughout Mount Si to encourage their students to submit pieces.

"It's fun because it's not just paintings, drawings and ceramics," she said. "It's a little bit of everything."

So far, Rouches has collected about 100 items that will be on display at the festival, which also include a collection of photographs, acrylic paintings of landscapes, charcoal and pen and ink drawings, geometrical patterns from math classes, bonsai plants from the horticultural department, gingerbread houses from the cooking department, and more.

"Students will have two days to look at the art and the public and community is invited for the festival on the evening of the 20th," Rouches said. "We're doing a fun thing where students will judge the artwork and pick the ones they like the best."

Rouches has invited a few professional artists as judges and they will then present first, second and third place winners on the night of the festival.

Free food and beverages made by the Mount Si Culinary Arts department will be available for those attending the festivities.

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