As you walk through the halls of Greater Latrobe Senior High School, art is all around you. From paintings to pictures to sculptures, a pair of eyes will always have a wonder to look at. The Greater Latrobe art collection dates back to the first two paintings from 1936, now the halls are lined with over 200 pieces of artwork.
Ever since 1997, Greater Latrobe has been hosting an annual Art Gala. This event brings the community together to showcase local artists and their work. Families, alumni, students, and artists gather to celebrate a passion for art. The Art Gala raises money for the GLSD Art Conservation Trust, which funds the art collection and preservation of the pieces.
GLSHS student council members visited the Latrobe Art Center to pick out fifteen pieces that senior high school docents presented. The docents went into great detail sharing the pieces with the community. Docent Heinrich van der Westhuizen said, “It’s awesome to have an impact on the art collection in the high school.”
All members of the student body are given the opportunity to choose the art that enters the school. “It’s really cool seeing something that we picked out being in the hallways representing us for years to come,” said Student Council member Sara Blossey. In addition to choosing the art pieces, student council members helped at the event. They greeted people, passed out programs, served drinks, and cleared tables.
This year’s Student Council art selection is Harmony, by Becky Mormack.
Mormack, a self-taught artist, has been painting for 20 years. The artist has worked through many different modes of expression but has ultimately settled on the palette knife. Mormack tried acrylics and oils before realizing she was most efficient with the palette knife.
When describing her piece, Mormack said, “I love the sunset, and the sky is in harmony with the water and with the reflections.” The artist’s favorite paintings are those in which she recreates the sky’s reflections onto the water.
This isn’t Becky Mormack’s first piece that has entered our school’s extensive collection. In 2006, the artist had her piece named, Dark Secrets, selected to adorn our halls. Mormack is very pleased to have her artwork selected to join our collection once again. “This is quite an honor. I’m over the moon,” said Mormack.
