This past Wednesday I had the immense pleasure of perusing the works of Hingham High School’s Ceramics students, who created sculptures based off of the theme “This I Believe”. The idea for this project was inspired by a radio program that aired on National Public Radio bearing the same name. The art pieces embodied the many different beliefs that students live by day to day. Several different sculptures outlined the importance of family and the effects of friendship over time. Every piece in the gallery told an original and powerful story, and offered an intimate view into the lives of these creative students. While the meaning behind some of the works was much more obvious visually than others, the explanations of each piece were thought-provoking, and although there were some central themes focusing around family and nonconformities, no two works appeared similar, and each offered a fresh take on the beliefs they represented. The effect of the pieces on the viewer is noteworthy as well. Although I viewed the gallery during a busy period in the library’s hours, as I read each description of each sculpture I was drawn in, and the clamor of the library was softened. These installations are captivating and deeply intriguing. They offer a beautifully abstract display of the inner thoughts of the artists, and through taking in the intricacies of each piece and thinking on the words each artist captions their artwork with, the viewer is left feeling enriched, as though with every piece examined they are reading a short story. I can offer only praise to the artists displayed in this exhibit and hope to see more outstanding projects as the year progresses.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Curran Dillis

A towering sculpture by Anna Doggett