In hopes of reigniting Coral Gables Senior High tradition, Catharsis has revived Art walk, after its two year long hiatus. All students were welcome to participate, as Art Walk strived to give all artists at Gables a chance to display their talents. This showcasing took place during both lunches on Jan. 12, as crowds moved through the court yard surrounded by the art of their peers.

“I really loved just the collaborative vibe and being able to see all of these students perform, and really pull out their best work, and do it in front of an audience. It was something that I wanted to bring back, because I feel like Catharsis isn’t as involved with the student body, and I wanted to showcase our visual arts, which doesn’t always get the same audience,” senior Cheryl Fiffe said. 

Its return was brought to life by Catharsis Editor-In-Cheif, Cheryl Fiffe with the help of the Catharsis Committee. Fiffe aimed to shine a spotlight on the talents of young artists whose work might otherwise go unrecognized. With the help of posters made by volunteers and recruitment, the committee aimed to influence students who might have needed the extra push.

With stations set up by said Catharsis, each artist was given a dedicated space for their art-making process. With their materials laid out in front of them, the artists were free to create anything from their chosen medium of art, ranging from paint to crochet yarn. Throughout both lunches, they performed live demonstrations of pottery, makeup and everything in between while tending to their audience of fellow Cavaliers, ready to answer questions about their work. 

“We had been unable to do it for the past couple years, and it was important to bring that tradition back, especially after hearing from the older students who still remember the previous Art Walk that went down. I could see it as they were talking to me about it, how much passion they had for reviving it, so it was like a no brainer to bring it back,” Mr. Rodriguez said.

Moon Anderson

For Moon Anderson, their love for creating has only increased with age. Turning to art after immigrating to the United States, it served as their comfort hobby, something they could turn to in a time of uncertainty. Eager to display their talent, Anderson jumped at the opportunity of creating a live painting while spending their afternoon engaging and interacting with their peers.

“Having people coming up to me and asking me questions or giving me comments made me feel really good! I felt seen and exposed, but I found the beauty in being able to share this part of me with other people,” junior Moon Anderson said.

Although, Anderson is found getting most of their practice in during art class, Anderson shares their art through their art based account on Instagram. Ranging from acrylic to watercolor paints, Anderson finds themself relaxed by their craft.

Ale Torruellas

Discovering her passion for writing from a young age, Ale Torruellas stands as the poetry editor for Catharsis. As part of the Catharsis Committee, her involvement in the planning of Art Walk motivated her to participate and showcase some work of her own.

Discovering her knack for ceramics junior year, making her fairly new to pottery, Torruellas aimed to shine a light on the idea that perfection is not always a constant, but that it is always possible with her piece, “The Duality of Hand.” The piece consisted of two works of pottery, one made to be smooth and precise and the other jagged and rough. The contrast of these pieces is what gave the work its name, symbolizing unending potential and inevitable faults.

“Whenever I create art, whether that be a ceramics piece or a written piece, I like to make it mean something. So, I guess whenever I get a strong emotion, I like thinking about how I can make that into something else,” senior Ale Torruellas said.

After an afternoon of live performances and art displays, Art Walk came to a close. When the crowds had returned to their classrooms, and the art was completed, volunteers aided in setting up a final gallery in Catharsis adviser, Mr. Rodriguez’s room. There, students were welcome to visit the display after school before it would be returned to each creator. Bringing together the young artists at Gables, Art Walk’s return served as a vibrant way to shed light on their talents.