Students' artwork to be on display

Nestor Rodriquez paints a ceramic pot. Jeff Mages' art class was quiet as a mouse Thursday morning with students lost in the work of painting a ceramic sculpture and placing the final touches on a pencil-and-ink drawing.

Forty Gaffney High students will see their artwork shown on a larger stage Oct. 17 when it goes on display in the Focus Art Gallery at USC-Upstate in Spartanburg.

USC-Upstate students stopped by the school Friday to pick up ceramics, digital photo illustrations, black-and-white photographs and paintings from Gaffney High students.

The students' artwork will be the main exhibit at the gallery from Oct. 17-Dec. 1.

USC-Upstate art professor Dr. Mary Lou Hightower invited the Gaffney High students to participate in the art exhibit over the summer.

"Dr. Hightower was my teacher for an instructional class I took this summer so I could become certified to teach AP studio art. I want to build the program back up at Gaffney High," Mages said. "Dr. Hightower extended an open invitation for our students to display their artwork at the college. I thought this would be a great opportunity for our students to show their art to people outside of Gaffney."

Mages worked with Gaffney High teachers to select various artwork done by students this school year. Students in grades 9-12 are featured in the exhibit.

"We will have a wide variety of art on display. There are black-and-white photos, ceramic pots, acrylic paintings, circular designs and drawings done with colored pencils. We invite the community to come out and see our students' artwork at the exhibit."