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According to Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation (LEAF), The Umbrella Project is a non-profit art initiative. Students from 8 different schools were prompted to make hand-crafted umbrellas with a design of their choice. Each student starts with a plain white umbrella and continues from there. Umbrellas are sold in a raffle to raise money for the top three “best-designed” umbrellas.
This program is designed to provide students with resources for college selection, financial aid, and earning college scholarships. Umbrellas are revealed at a live auction event. We have taken this project into our own hands this year as LEAF put the project on hold due to diminishing interest from other schools. Mr. Head decided to keep this program going to showcase the skills of Aurora Artists. The umbrellas this year were painted with acrylics or tempera paints.
(@Atown_art21 on X)
This is Aurora High School's 3rd year entering the Umbrella Project. These umbrellas are completed over six months. Aurora had seven artists participate in the project: Aurora McCloud, Jessica Stoops, Alexa Keyser, Hazel Breyer, Clara Bultrowicz, and Lauren Baka. We have multiple returning artists from previous years including Lauren and Clara. Currently, the prizes for both categories are $100 each, and the rest will go back to the Umbrella Project.
Sophomore Jessica Stoops shares what inspired her design: “The inspiration for my design came from the idea of facing a struggle and trying to reach out for help with that struggle and the fear that comes with reaching out. The eyes were meant to represent the possible judgment that could be placed on someone trying to speak about their struggle. The red hand coming out of the dark spot is meant to represent coming out about struggle”. Jessica continues to talk about the world of art and asks that everyone keeps in mind the importance of the artistic community and how it “teaches about the experiences of others and is an outlet for creativity”.
(Striving Arts Ohio WordPress)
(Striving Arts Ohio WordPress)
Senior, Hazel Breyer, was another participant in the Umbrella Project. Hazel talks about where her inspiration for this project comes from: “My umbrella was pretty much a tribute umbrella to pay homage to my high school art career. I included all the art classes I've taken and just some drawings of my general style and what I like to paint and draw. I used a ton of color, drips, and texture to create the look of my umbrella, since I was the only senior doing it I wanted it to be special to me and create something important to me.”
As a way to show support for these artists, students & staff put money in a container to “vote” for an umbrella that they liked the best. The last thing Jessica says is this: “Donating to your favorite umbrella is a great way to encourage artists in the school by showing you recognize the importance of what they do.” In the end, there were 148 votes and $315.82 was raised.
First Place: Lauren Baka 64 votes
Second Place: Clara Bultrowicz 36 votes
Third Place: Sofia Quidilla 16 votes
Alexa Keyser: 12 votes
Hazel Breyer: 11 votes
Aurora McCloud: 10 votes
Jessica Stoops: 2 votes
Popularity Award: Hazel Breyer $124.06
Runner up: Clara Bultrowicz $51.85
Honorable Mention: Sofia Quidilla $50.88
(Lauren Baka's Umbrella)
If you want to learn more about the Umbrella Project from this year as well as previous years click here!
Written By: Charlotte Varkala
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