Jennifer Abate studies artwork Tuesday night at an exhibit featuring Yokota High School's top artists at Yokota Air Base, Japan. (T.D. Flack / S&S)
Jennifer Abate studies artwork Tuesday night at an exhibit featuring Yokota High School's top artists at Yokota Air Base, Japan. (T.D. Flack / S&S)
Jan Noyes studies artwork Tuesday night at an exhibit featuring Yokota High School's top artists at Yokota Air Base, Japan. (T.D. Flack / S&S)
David Hale puts the finishing touches on "Jake," a painting he exhibited Tuesday night at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Hale, Jason Correll, Sarah Hannon and Mike Garcia, seniors at Yokota High School, all showed work. (T.D. Flack / S&S)
Jan Noyes studies a painting Tuesday night at an exhibit featuring Yokota High School's top artists at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The exhibit was open to the public and seniors Jason Correll, David Hale, Sarah Hannon and Mike Garcia all showed work. (T.D. Flack / S&S)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Community residents flooded into the Officers’ Club on Tuesday night to view the work of Yokota High School’s most talented artists.
David Hale, Jason Correll, Sarah Hannon and Mike Garcia, seniors in the school’s advanced-placement art class, presented the showcase.
Their work ranged from Correll’s paintings to Hannon’s pastels to the students’ efforts in digital imagery. Haunting self-portraits graced one area; a series of “manga” — Garcia’s take on a popular form of Japanese comics — lined another.
One of Hannon’s pieces garnered much attention. A large cartoon bubble with a quote by author A. Sachs — “Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives” — was popular. Various news clippings about death in both English and Japanese floated above three men portrayed in shocking orange on a blue background.
Art teacher Jennifer Sauceda, finishing her first year at Yokota, said the show gave the four college-level and gallery experience. The students, who submit portfolios to earn a spot in the program, were excited about the project.
Students were allowed to use any medium to create works in the yearlong class, she added, but pieces submitted for the show had to flow together.
Hale, who’s earned a $30,000 combined merit scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design, seemed a crowd favorite.
Friends gathered as he put last-minute touches to “Jake,” a dark close-up painting of a face done in stark blues and purples. Inset in one eye was a video screen playing Hale’s edited version of a Nine Inch Nails video.
Hale said he’s displayed his work in four other shows, including a show in Tokyo’s popular Ginza shopping area.
“I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t get that done in time,” he said, pointing toward a crowd of people viewing “Jake.”
Hale hopes to study either interactive design or graphic design in Savannah.
“I’m really proud of all the kids,” said Karen Ferrantelli, Hale’s mother.
