What Does Community Mean to You? - A Triton Museum Teen Art Call Publication

What does community mean to you?

A ​TRITON MUSEUM OF ART​ DIGITAL PUBLICATION FEATURING ARTWORK FROM TEENS IN OUR COMMUNITY

We asked our teens in the local community the question, "What does community mean to you?" The results are

astounding, thoughtful and inspiring. This online publication is a platform for our

young artists to create artwork that

visions for the future of our communities.

expresses their personal experience and

MAIA KUMAR, 16, SANTA CLARA, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ma mère est ma communauté.

(French for my mother is my community.)

Photography

I'm passionate about creating black and white photography and telling stories about the people I love and my Indian heritage. I love to make art because it is a platform that encompasses various mediums that can express who you truly are. In my opinion, it is an extension of one's identity. It is also a way for a person to communicate one's style, perspective, tone, and opinions to others. In my opinion, my creativity can be attributed to my personal experiences as an Indian immigrant in Silicon Valley. I feel the need to express and educate people about my culture and heritage in a way that is engaging and informative because I believe that my culture is misunderstood and often scrutinized in the media. Another factor that can be attributed to me being creative is admiring and understanding the works of my talented art teacher, Bikash Bhattacharjee, one of my favorite Indian artists, and Vincent Van Gogh.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

When I think of the word "community,” I think of people whom I love and deeply care about.

During these unprecedented times, surrounding one's self with people whom you love and cherish gives you a sense of community and hope. To me, my mother is a part of my community. She is my strength, my best friend, and one of the few people I will always cherish.

My mother guides me when times are tough, teaches me new and interesting subjects, educates me about my culture and my community. Her values, culture, identity, and strength, both internal and external, have inspired me to be the person that I am today and have made me realize how vital she is to my community. I used my phone's camera to capture this shot. It was spontaneous and unexpected, but I'm pleased with the outcome.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

VY NGUYEN, 16, SAN JOSE, CA

I love making art because (though cliche) it is a way for me to express myself and my inner emotions. Photography is my main medium of art and I enjoy getting to know others through photoshoots (which is unfortunately not possible at the moment). I also love making collages because it allows me to mess around with photos and warp them into something new.

I'm often inspired by music or even seeing a certain color can spark an idea in my head.

when we die, where do we go

Collage

Tell us a little bit about your art.

This collage was inspired by the model from the photo. We went on a photoshoot together a few months before lock down, but I always felt somewhat unsatisfied with the images and didn't believe that it was "good enough" to be posted. However, during quarantine, I've been reviewing a lot of my images— looking at them with fresh eyes and a new perspective. While scrolling through social media, I saw some self portraits by the model from this photo (taken during quarantine). The red in his photos continued to flash through my own mind and it inspired me to create my own collage using the photos I had taken of him. Though it took a bit of time for me to get an idea of what I wanted, I was able to mess around on Photoshop and use new tools that I was a bit afraid to explore before.

CARY PERKINS​, ​14​, SAN JOSE, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Love Isn’t A Sin

I love being able to express myself without words, sometimes through art you can really hit someone with it’s true meaning. Nature, and my own experiences.

Drawing

Tell us a little bit about your art.

When I heard the prompt I immediately thought of the LGBTQ community. I identify as a lesbian, and the LGBTQ community has helped me become more comfortable with myself. It made me realize that I am who I am and I’m happy with that. I wanted to have two women getting married as a symbol of the community. I also put important words surrounding them that embody the LGBTQ community.

DAKSH CHANDER, 14,​ ​SANTA CLARA, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

BLOOD.

I love making art because it allows you to take the wildest of one's imagination and present it visually just the way you want it. I like being creative because there are no boundaries to what you can do with your art, the only limitation is your imagination.

Watercolor

Tell us a little bit about your art.

I believe that the state of our community as a nation is great in some cases and terrible in others. Many people still have to change the way they think about other people. I took my inspiration from the Ahmaud Arbery case and also a song by Kendrick Lamar called BLOOD. (please listen to it) In this painting the blind woman is the justice system (Lady Justice) who has thrown equality to the floor (the scale is on the floor) and is holding a gun to a person's head.(symbolizing the excessive consequences that people face for oftentimes not doing anything wrong; Just like the Ahmaud Arbery case). The 'DAMN.' Pays Homage to the album from which I took Inspiration. In this artwork I attacked one of the problems in our community as a nation rather than a smaller community.

Although community means a lot to me I believe there is still a lot that we can change before America can boast "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.".

OMID IZADI​, ​13​, ​LOCKEFORD, CA

Crises in our Planet. Is It a New Future?

Painting

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

I am a 13 years old boy, studying at 7 grade and am painting constantly since kindergarten. I love making art because simply being creative is fun and I could express my creativity, and feeling through my art. I like to see people’s reaction to my art and if I could change the perspective of people through my art then I’m even more satisfied. Art speaks for itself and sometimes it could transfer your message even much better than a great lecture.

This is our new reality and we need to think about it now to prevent another pandemic in the future. The negative side is humans and Front liners have suffered a lot in our community and the whole world. The positive side is animals have now roomed the streets that were once full of cars, some animals even exploring miles. On the other hand greenhouse gases have been lowered. We all are responsible, when this virus ends think equally about humans and animals and the solution for our planet.

MELINA KRITIKOPOULOS​, ​17​, ​SANTA CLARA, CA

That line will be the next step.

The start

We are at the start of that journey. Of completing the marks that make up our beloved semicolon.

Poem

We are at the start. The start of a semicolon.

It says pause. Pause and overcome.

A break, that’s all this is.

Pause. Not stop. A semicolon is not a period.

We will have that line.

We are at the start. We’ve made that first dot, the swirl of our lives forever twisting in ways we never imagined.

In writing and life its appearance is rare. Yet when it's there, it's noticed.

A moment of strife now, a moment of worlds turning over, a moment of this unacquainted circle of experience.

You’ve been noticed, little one. We are at the start; we will make it to that line.

But circles always close. And soon the line will meet its start.

We’ll be outside again. We’ll hug our friends freely. We’ll pray for our losses and burst with gratitude at what we still have.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have always found art as a means of expression and a creative outlet. Being creative allows me to put my passions into a tangible form and this is a feeling I've never found in another activity.

And then we’ll move onto the line underneath that awful circle, for without it we would not have our semicolon.

Our populations will slowly curve their way back into place. Our daily lives unfurling from this closed circle of bad news and isolation and back into the freedom of a line.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

This poem was written when I was very overwhelmed with the circumstances of the COVID situation. I took the time to realize that I have people in my life who feel the same way, and who will get through this time the same way I will.

SAMIKA AGARWAL​, ​15​, ​SARATOGA, CA

Eleanor: Lines of Life

Drawing

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Art is a beautiful way of self-expression. I prefer explaining what I like, believe in, or even wishing “Happy Birthday” by drawing and painting my sentiments or my opinion. Many people meditate to relax and calm down; my meditation is art. Mixing my colors, dipping the brush in the paint, and the smooth strokes of my brush all feel so satisfying, especially when that one stroke makes all the difference. As I experimented with different mediums over the course of my life, I also discovered the profound ways I could use art to transform my world. Be it to influence society or to translate narratives for social good, art

provides the ideal surface to convey more complex messages that words simply sometimes cannot. In these interesting times, quarantine has given me more time to contemplate my art; how should I improve it? How can I help others through it? For instance, in the age of social distancing, I feel that social isolation, especially for our seniors, can lead to many problems like loneliness. I founded a program, Say Smile, that offers friendly video/phone calls and greeting cards with fun messages to seniors who want to see, talk and connect to friendly people. It is truly enlightening and uplifting to hear, through the audio call, how appreciative the seniors are, as quarantine uprooted their whole routine! It is in moments like these, when people are beaming with joy from my art, that inspires and motivates me to continue on this fulfilling path.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

Volunteering at senior centers, I noticed the positive impact when I interacted with residents who unfortunately are separated from family. The fact that they have to stay alone breaks my heart, and especially now I want to be there for the community.

One of the seniors I call is Eleanor, who I met at a senior center. Despite the many difficulties she has to undergo, she always remembers my name and asks about my life. Eleanor participates in art classes, jewelry making, and attends the socials. She even manages to dress up in elegant clothes and jewelry.

Her laughter is truly contagious, and her spirit is an eternal flame. In my eyes, she is gorgeous for the hope and love she radiates. Helping and talking to her brightens my day, and I admire her positive thinking.

She is the kind of person I hope to be when I am her age: warm-hearted, energetic, and positive.This work is of Eleanor. She made such an immense impact on my life, and my special way to thank her is by making her portrait. From the twinkle in her eye to her slight smile, you can feel the energy within her. Eleanor’s gaze into the camera mimics the way she looks at herself in the mirror: proud and accepting. To her, these wrinkles narrate a story about every tough challenge she overcame, from earning the right to vote to giving birth to her two kids. Eleanor always celebrates her wrinkles as a privilege because they are her laugh lines-- her life lines. Therefore, this artwork is called Eleanor: Lines of Life.

CYBILLE IRISSOU​, ​14​, ​SUNNYVALE, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve always loved making art and only discovered digital art a few years ago but fell head over heels in love with it. What really inspires me about being creative are the things that make me happy. Recently I’ve drawn celebrities who have inspired me by their music or speeches.

Speak Yourself Digital Art

Tell us a little bit about your art.

This artwork displays Kim Namjoon, an idol, speaking out at the United Nations and UNICEF about finding who you truly are and speaking out for yourself about yourself. The speech was extremely moving and I believe that his music as well as speeches created a connection between many people from all around the world from who were then able to form a community known as ARMY. This community is a very powerful one who watches out for one another, as a community should. In the background of the art piece, I decided to put the parts of his speech for UNICEF that moved me the most as well as the UNICEF logo, as UNICEF itself is an organization that brings people together, also allowing people around the world to form a strong, growing community.

RACHEL J. STAV ​, ​16​, BELMONT, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

light in the storm

I love making art because it helps express my emotions right then and there in the moment when I feel like I can't say it out loud. Being creative to me means so much because it really helps me cope with my feelings and anxiety especially in this teen life.

Painting

Tell us a little bit about your art.

My inspiration for this particular oil painting was how I was feeling during this time of my life, I just got out of an unhealthy time of my teen life and the mix of blue helps represent the calmness after the storm. The other darker hints of color help represent that there is still a part of me that is hurt. So community means everything to me because without my great community around me and the people I surround myself with I would have no calm in me.

URMILA VUDALI​, ​17​, ​SARATOGA, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Beloved

Art has always been therapy for me. As a high school junior, I find myself getting stressed and overwhelmed with school and activities. Art allows me to unwind and find time to focus on myself and be creative. In our society, there are many issues that we are confronting. Art has become a great medium to express ourselves and our opinions. I use art to tell stories and show my feelings and beliefs.

Painting

Tell us a little bit about your art.

This piece was inspired by Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved. It is my recreation of the "Weeping Mary", except it portrays the protagonist, Sethe, weeping over the loss of her daughter, Beloved. This novel emphasizes the importance of love and community when enduring and surviving slavery and segregation. I felt that this novel is becoming more relevant due to the recent instances of police brutality that have shocked our community. Community is built on support from others, and we as a community have come to stand in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones due to racial prejudice and violence in the United States. This piece is meant to show how motherhood and love transcends race and religion. We must find love and strength in our community as we mourn the loss of African American men who became victims of police brutality.

KYLEE D. DOUGHERTY ​, ​17​, SAN JOSE, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Community

I love creating art because it makes me feel seen.

Drawing

Tell us a little bit about your art.

When I think of community, I think of a support system. My piece represents how members of a community support one another.

ANALILIA CHAVARRO​, 16, SAN JOSE, CA

Trapped

Painting

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

I love making art because it helps me express my thoughts and feelings. What most inspires me about being creative is that it’s your own thing and no one can take your creativity away from you.

My painting “Trapped” all came together in one whole day. It took several hours to put this piece together.

But I’ll leave it to your imagination of how you perceive the feeling of trapped or any other feelings you may relate to this painting. My inspiration for doing this is to just want my artwork to mean something to someone even if it's just one person. I was given the question “what does community mean to you,” what it means to me——well what it’s supposed to mean is a group of people living in the same place (peacefully preferably). But what community means to me now is chaos and despair because that’s all this world has turned into since this world is basically one whole community. We need to start spreading more peace and love towards each other than spreading racism and hate.

KEDATON CAMPBELL​, ​13​, ​SUNNYVALE, CA

Love, Peace and Poppies

Painting

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

I love making art to express myself and the world that surrounded me with inspirations

I miss the community who commemorated World War 1 in London, United Kingdom and World War 2 in Normandy, France. The airplanes in the sky and the red poppies that I saw popping out of the soil and every crack of ruins acted as the silent witnesses. I look forward to traveling again and meeting the communities out there.

INES VILLARREAL SENZATIMORE ​, 16,

SUNNYVALE, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Freedom on Hold

I began drawing and painting when I was really young.

Since then, it has always been a strong creative outlet for me and has greatly impacted my life. I love painting and learning about other mediums of art because I can express my emotions and depict my perspective on the world. Growing up in the Bay Area has influenced my passion for art because there are so many opportunities and people to support my art.

My biggest inspiration, aside from my friends and family, has been the people that can relate to my work, and find comfort in the messages that I portray in my paintings. Through school and social media I have been able to connect with many other people that continue to inspire me to this day. My friends and family have encouraged me to get to where I am now and I am so grateful for their love and support.

Painting

Tell us a little bit about your art.

This painting is based on the February cover of Vogue Portugal, however, instead of painting the black and white depiction of this photo, I used red and blue shades of watercolor paint. The contrast between the warm and cool tones display the love and affection people evoke when being close to one another. I was inspired by this photo because many have been separated by their loved ones during these times. I wanted to capture this same emotion in my artwork by creating the shift in color, symbolizing the shift in feeling and distance. The prompt, “what does community mean to you,” was a great inspiration to this painting because love and connection is what builds a sense of community between us. The Bay Area has been affected by the COVID 19 outbreak and we all have had to separate ourselves from the people we love. Despite the physical distance, I want to make a statement that people can continue to​ ​love and support each other. Our community continues to strive and grow even despite the challenges that we face. In times like these, it is so important for people to connect with the community and indulge in their passions. I hope that my art can help to comfort those who relate to this message. I want everyone to know that they are not alone and that things will get better.

MAYA GERRIE-ANDERSON​, 16,

OAKLAND, CA

happy nature

Watercolor

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Why I like art is that it is fun to make and there is no one way to do it. what Inspires me in my old after school program Studio one that was such a good art space and my Grandma she does art and makes me love it too.

Tell us a little bit about your art.

My artwork is about how the plants and the animals are more happy. There is a garden near me and this watercolor got inspired by the garden. This watercolor means the plants are getting big and happy and the animals are out more.

RAJVI KHANJAN SHROFF, 14​, ​SANTA CLARA, CA

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Art is such a wonderful way of expressing ourselves!

It serves as a creative outlet but is also a tool we can use to communicate our thoughts about the world around us with others. I love to make art to share my feelings and opinions, and I appreciate art because it helps me share and understand new perspectives. It’s truly inspiring to see so many different viewpoints.

Besides, art is such a fun way to see the beauty in the everyday!

Capturing the essence: Community’s three pillars

Tell us a little bit about your art.

Mixed Media

Community brings to mind words such as friendship, understanding, and empathy, but it doesn't stop there.

With this art piece, I wanted to talk about the three important pillars of a community--members of a community share the same journey; a community is more than the sum of its part; when you’re in a community, there is a sense of being part of something bigger than yourself and it is this magic of synergy that’s the crux of what community means.

This is why it’s divided into three sections: the one with the boy and girl walking together is akin to how everyone in a community guide and support each other through the thick and thin and are all guided by a single motive: to reach a destination, together (A); the second part is a depiction of two trees intertwined together, helping the other grow (B); the third is a superimposed photo which shows a flower bush, a tiny house, and a fountain (C). I have drawn on the main idea I was aiming to portray when writing a short concept blurb underneath each part to guide the viewers in understanding the piece better. As for the artistic technique, I created a mixed media project. A was completed using watercolors, B was finished using oil pastels and pieces of leaves were glued on, further symbolizing the vital and delicate relationship between nature and humankind, and C was completed by snapping a photo of surroundings and was chosen to show how beautiful the “scene,” or the world, looks when humans work together with nature.

because it allows me to share the unity, peacefulness, and reason of the protests in a way that's more raw than what the media portrays. I've submitted a set of the pictures to my photography instagram account, and plan to post more as well as create a website where people can see the true beauty of the movement. There is so much hatred in this world, and I want to bring as much joy and peacefulness into it as possible. So that's why I take pictures and paint, to give people a temporary break from the bad in this world and rejoice with the kindness and good that remains.

EVA STRAGE​, 16, ​BELVEDERE, CA

The Growth of Humanity

Mixed Media

Tell us a little bit about your art.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have always loved art as a way of expressing my emotions and feelings when I couldn't find the words, and to capture moments of beauty. In the past couple of years I have gotten into photography, and I love photographing the breathtaking California landscapes as well as moments of humanity in people. I have been attending many BLM protests and documenting them with my camera, which I love doing

This piece is mixed media with my original photography and photoshop drawings. I wanted to show how all of humanity comes from the same Earth, and is affected by their society, culture and current events until they become a blossoming human being. Community to me means the environment where people grow up and change in, so this piece reflects that as it shows the growth of humanity. For everyone living through 2020, the BLM protests are a vital part of character development. It exposes those who truly care about creating a better future and those that simply stay out of it because it's "hard" or "confusing" or an "uncomfortable topic". That's why I included some of my pictures from the protests in San Francisco, because I acknowledge the importance and significance of the movement, and truly believe its shaping me into becoming a more educated and aware member of society and community.

The figure in the middle represents Mother Nature and humanity, as she is the product of the roots of our society's history, and if affected by the current societal unrest, and will eventually bloom into a beautiful tree that will then distribute seeds and grow another generation of people who will hopefully continue to fight for change and justice.