The Importance of Special Spaces for Art Students

What's going on in the art and music wing? And how is it making the students you find most commonly there feel?

Jackson Kilburn, '23

The art wing is vast with many different kinds of students, from sculpting and drawing to making music in the band, orchestra, or choir. However, there seems to be an epidemic of students who are not involved in these activities using the art facilities for inappropriate activities. Due to this, there seems to be some worry among music and art students about what could happen in the future when it comes to their personal facilities (e.g the music wing bathrooms, the art storage room, etc).

For those who don’t know, in the fine arts and music wings you’ll find spaces where unless you’re an art student (of either category), you will not be permitted to use them for whatever reason. The music wings bathrooms are used for an obvious reason, using the bathroom, but the fine art students tend to find solitude in the storage room. You can sit down at the table and work on your projects in peace, which is important to the students who use that space properly.

Kenzie Wilks, a sophomore band member, finds it extremely frustrating when these spaces, like the bathrooms, get shut down.

“It’s not fair to us that when non-music kids use OUR bathrooms, we all have to pay the price. They are not for everyone in the school to use; there’s a sign in front of the bathrooms that says ‘no non-music kids beyond this point’,” said Kenzie.

Kenzie also includes herself in fine art classes, so she sees both the effects and the worry of it spreading.

Kenzie working on an art piece. Photo Credit: Landon DeFoer

“I would find it incredibly annoying if the fine art spaces also got shut down, those spaces are for fine art students to have a safe space to go and express themselves. If non-art kids are misusing those spaces, fine art students will lose the privilege to use them,” said Kenzie.

Another sophomore fine art student, Apollo Hayes, agrees.

“It’s frustrating because I use the storage room to get away from all the people when I’m feeling anxious, so seeing that happen to people who are in the same wing as me, it makes me worried I’m gonna lose my space as well,” he said when asked

There are worries when it comes to this issue, between both the fine art and music students. Students want the school to take more initiative in protecting the spaces.

“I’m just hoping that they’re gonna start cracking down on having more security in the music and art wings, kids who aren’t supposed to be there shouldn’t be able to get back there as easily as they do. Sure, there’s a sign that tries to push away non-music students but who’s really reading that sign when they’re already doing something they aren’t supposed to?” said Apollo.

Kenzie elaborates on the presence of personnel but also redirects the conversation about identifying the true issue.

Apollo working on his painting. Photo Credits: Landon DeFoer

Kenzie (left), Apollo (right), pictured together in the art storage room. Photo Credit: Landon DeFoer

“I think there should be harder security, but I think we should also look at the greater problem which is obviously vaping at school. Our bathroom wasn’t the only one that got shut down, the restrooms offered to all students are closed down regularly and it leaves students having to walk long ways and make it seem like they’re skipping class and going overtime on their SmartPass just because of those who vape.”

The frustration and worry that comes from taking personalized spaces away from art students is no joke, and if anything it’s more often than not that those students are the ones being punished more than those who got their spaces taken away in the first place. But who's to say that it will only stay in that section of the school? As we've seen, it's not just the music wing bathrooms that have been shut down, so I leave you with this thought: you don't have to be an art student to have this impact you negatively. This is an overall school-wide issue, as Kenzie had suggested, so everyone should be taking their part in bettering the school environment for everyone.