On May 2, UC High’s ArtsTech seniors hosted Art Attack, a showcase of art from ArtsTech and other student artists, including events and activities such as a student film show, several art galleries, a ceramics-making station, live bands and a taco cart.

   “The idea is to include our Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, Art 1/2, and Video Production classes, including both ArtsTech and other students,” said Ceramics Teacher Jim McCarthy.

   “It originally started as a way for ArtsTech seniors to learn how to plan an event. In the recent years, we decided to open our doors to the other art programs at UC High,” said Senior Anna Lee.

   “We’ve added ceramics, fine arts, and video production. This year, we decided to collaborate with engineering as well,” said Lee.

   Chalk paintings could be found around the west quad area. “The chalk drawings were opened up to anybody in the art department. It was mostly the ArtsTech kids that did it, but there were a few groups from Drawing and Painting this year as well,” said McCarthy.

   “The chalk drawings — they’re called Madonnari — were originally done by Italian chalk artists. They’re called Madonnari because they originally painted Renaissance-type paintings, which were of the Madonna, the Mother of  Christ. That was typically the subject matter. We did contemporary artworks, the kind of things that kids were having more fun with,” said McCarthy.

   Junior Ulysses Jasso is one of the ArtsTech students who created chalk art. “It’s a close up of a doberman pincher’s mouth. And the idea isn’t anything too special; mostly everyone was doing more cartoon-like pieces and I decided ‘Why not do something different?’ Some people I showed it to thought it was kinda gross… and I also decided to zoom in on the teeth to emphasize the feeling of the art piece.”

   “My two biggest challenges were sketching out the image and making sure nothing was out of place and also blending the colors. We had to use our fingers and they would get raw after a while. It was my first year creating a chalk piece so I didn’t want to have an unfinished piece by Art Attack. That’s mostly what kept me motivated,” explained Jasso.

   Sophomore Victoria Figueroa created a “Thor and Loki” themed painting. “I did the Loki chalk art with my friend because we really — and I mean really — love Loki and Thor.” About the other chalk drawings, Figueroa said, “I liked them [other artist’s chalk paintings]. They were nice and some even inspiring.”