May 11, 2023

As students walk the halls of Copley High School, they probably notice the many works of art lining the walls and filling the showcases. This year, a number of these artworks were created by senior Shannon Pusateri, a multi-talented artist. Pusateri loves to work with crafts, knitting, crocheting, making jewelry, baking and playing percussion in the band, and it is difficult to miss evidence of her creative achievement throughout the school day. 

Pusateri began creating art at a very young age. Art has great personal meaning for her, as it brought her closer to an important family member. 

“My Grandma [got me started in art],” Pusateri said. “She was an art teacher. She taught me how to draw and color when I was four.”

Pusateri has attended various art classes during her years at Copley High School, and each has taught her something different about artistic expression. 

“Being in art classes here [has] given me a lot of friends I didn’t think I’d have,” Pusateri said. “I [also] never expected to compete for art.”

One of Pusateri’s pieces, “Scar Face,” was ranked in the top 200 pieces in the 2023 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition. This is a competition for young artists from all of Ohio’s 1,112 high schools, and placing  in the rankings is a dream for many student artists in the state. 

“My favorite [piece] is a portrait I [drew],” Pusateri said. “It’s a portrait of Thomas Brodie Sangster when he’s a zombie [from the film “Maze Runner”]. It was a colored pencil piece and it turned out really good. It’s framed in my room. I like how it looks: the colors, [and how] the background’s blurry.”

Pusateri’s love for art has inspired her to pursue a career in the field. She plans to continue her studies at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in art history and minoring in anthropology with the goal of becoming an art conservator. She hopes to then go to the University of Delaware to earn a graduate degree in art conservation. 

“[After college, I hope to get into] art conservation, so that’s more like restoration and museum studies,” Pusateri said. “I’ll hopefully study abroad a lot in [places] like Italy and France and travel to those main museums and do internships. Further into my life, when I do that I won’t be creating art, but it will always be a part of me. I’ll always still do it, even on the side.”