Students from Wakefield High School’s visual arts program took to the streets of Downtown Raleigh for artSPARK, also known as the Street Painting Festival, on September 18 and 19 of 2015.

SPARKcon is an annual event that occurs every September in which the the arts and creativity are celebrated by local artists and performers.  It includes groups of dancers, street performers, singers, actors, and artists that all come together and display their talents for the public to appreciate.  ArtSPARK specifically is a festival that allows local artists to pay only 10 dollars to purchase a 5x5ft square on Fayetteville Street that they can design with chalk any way they choose.  Many participants look forward to the event in the Raleigh area to show off their work, gain recognition, and win awards.

According to Dawn Valentino, art teacher at Wakefield High School, she and her students have been involved in artSPARK since the festival was founded in 2006.

“[ArtSPARK] has definitely benefited the students by creating collaborative ideas,” said Valentino.  “Students have to join teams and work together.”

Prior to the festival, Valentino felt very confident that her students would be successful based on their history at the event.

“Students often receive best in design or best in color,” Valentino said about the awards her students have earned in competition.  “Wakefield definitely has a reputation of always producing outstanding work at the Street Painting Festival.  It promotes the arts in the community and keeps us involved.”

Events within the community such as artSPARK are useful, especially for high school students, because people from all over the state come to either participate or just observe the unique artwork.  

“[ArtSPARK is] a good experience for people of all ages because there’s not an age limit for you to be involved in artSPARK,” said Jillian Kassor, senior and President of the NAHS.  It allows children to experience art at a very young age.

Olivia Novak, senior and Vice President of the NAHS, was lucky enough to get sponsored by a company for her art display in 2014.  Novak described the enthusiasm she felt after gaining recognition for her design.

“You gain a sense of pride and satisfaction anytime someone validates your work,” Novak said.  “It helps get teen artists’ names out.  It also allows them to compare their work to other local artists in the area and make connections, network, or be inspired.”

As an officer of NAHS, it’s rewarding for students like Novak to be praised for their accomplishments in a competition.  Students in the art program work extremely hard, and it is often difficult for young artists to publicize the work that they’ve done.  Many schools have even  reduced their funding for performing and visual arts programs,  cutting down student resources and causing fewer kids to participate in enriching activities such as artSPARK in the future.

Clare Witt, an AP 2-D Design student and senior at Wakefield, also sees artSPARK as a valuable opportunity to display her artwork and make herself known.

“You can do whatever design you want,” Witt said, “and you can get a public opinion of your artwork.”

Three groups from Wakefield High School received sponsorships as recognition for their hard work at artSPARK in 2015.  Olivia Novak, Colton Valentino, and Loren Wolfe won Best Use of Color for their design.

Along with receiving constructive criticism at artSPARK, students also get to further develop their skills with the Four C’s (collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity).  These are traits that most colleges look for in high school students as they begin to apply for schools.  According to Valentino, the arts play an important role in student’s futures.

“Art students already possess all of those qualities,” Valentino said.