Robinson High School has been a long-time hotbed for creativity in all forms, offering programs for outlets of all kinds. One particularly important program to students at the R is the art program – and one student wanted to give his peers a chance to show off their handiwork.

Arasan Subramanian is an IB senior at Robinson who, despite not being in the art program, decided to plan a showcase for his other artistic schoolmates. As a part of graduation requirements, IB requires students to take on a “CAS project,” which can manifest in the form of a long-term artistic, athletic, or service project which showcases one’s capacity for leadership. Subramanian saw this as a chance to display his friends’ talents and fulfill the requirements of the daunting CAS project.

“I got the idea for the exhibition from my work at the Tampa Museum of Art,” Subramanian said. “…and I wanted to showcase the artists I knew at school.”

However, this project could not have gotten off the ground without a venue to host it at; which is where Robinson IB English teacher, Jennell Peteranecz, was willing to help.

“Mrs. P offered to host after she heard the idea,” Subramanian said, “and it was sick to have such a nice place to hold the show.”

With a time and place secured, all that was missing were participants. Subramanian began to ask around the population of IB art students.

“I have honestly wanted to organize something like that for a while…Arasan’s organization of the event provided me with the reality that something like that is possible,” Attendee Jake Perkins (’23) said.

With a lineup of 5 different students, all with multiple different pieces of art in various mediums, the exhibition was ready.

Sunday evening arrived and Peteranecz’s house was bustling with students. On display in the living room was Kalani Silva’s (‘23) highly-detailed pencil and pen drawings, placed next to a selection of Perkins’ photographs from his upcoming project which depict artistic and imaginative interpretations of the numbers 0-9. On the mantel, Ingalls Witte’s (‘23) works of both traditional art and photography were set up and in the kitchen sat paintings by both Petra De Jenzano (‘23) and Subramanian.

“I felt relieved and anxious,” Perkins said about displaying his photography, “I never really get to see people’s genuine reactions to my art, so getting a more tangible medium of expression was very cool.”

Other artists at the event held similar sentiments.

“The coolest part about having my art on display was that I got to discuss my reasons for creating art,” De Jenzano said. “…I learned about the other artists’ personal connections to their art.”

With the night beginning as a simple art showcase and ending as a social gathering for seniors between both IB and traditional, the exhibition could certainly be considered a success from several angles. If you missed this first one, then be sure to stay on the lookout for announcements for future exhibitions!

“It’s gonna happen,” Subramanian said. “So keep your eye out for new announcements.”