In this piece, I explore themes of home, existence, stasis vs. change, and I draw inspiration from people, objects, places, etc. that remind me of home. I make art to preserve the existence of aspects of my life that have changed, like this fish who passed away. I combined realistic drawings with illusive patterns to highlight the stasis vs. change regarding the fish and his home.

-Fifi Berman, ‘21

Late at night when I'm getting ready for bed I tend to stare at myself in the mirror. I stare and stare and stare until I no longer recognize the person I'm looking at. Combine an unfamiliar face with the darkness of 3am and the creaks of my old house and I have effectively succeeded in scaring myself. I wonder what would happen if the me in the mirror switched places with the me in the real world. What would my alternate reality look like?

-Deeya Gupta, ‘21

This piece represents how not one person in the world looks the same or is the same person. We live in a society where there is a desire to look and act a specific way but I have come to the realization that this is not achievable.  Everyone is beautiful in their own ways, with their unique looks and personalities. If our world was full of people that looked the same people would get bored and there would be no individuality.  I chose to draw each person as a continued line without lifting my pen because everyone is always evolving through time. A person's story doesn't stop when they reach adulthood it continues on even after they pass.  I like that there are smudges and the lines are not perfect, reflecting again that no one is perfect and our world can sometimes be messy.  

-Olivia Rosen, ‘21

I wanted to paint the Chinese elm tree in my backyard because it is where I have gone to find peace throughout the entirety of quarantine. In a time where I’ve felt very lonely and disconnected, I have formed a connection with nature. The distorted colors are meant to communicate feelings of sadness and loneliness while the shape of the tree communicates serenity and peace of mind.

-Poppy Nye, ‘21

escapism: I've come to terms with rekindling my family dynamic and progressing from a state of denial, idolization, and neglect. However, I recognize that the people around me may not be as lucky in the recovery process. This piece is a reflection of the (literally) layered temptation of escapism, specifically from family and personal health. Though rejecting gratitude is much easier than embracing it, the concept of “running away” is ultimately confined to a fantasy.

-Kaeli McLeod, ‘21

"Everlasting Care" is a piece made to explore the ways that all of us uniquely care for ourselves. Fundamentally, I believe the ways in which we care for ourselves stems from the same feeling of comfort. Just as when I was younger I would use ice cream to ease my sadness, still, today when I need a stress break, I go get some ice cream. Our innate sense of comfort often does not change even as we age.

-Naya Ben-Meir, ‘22

I made this film when school was just starting up again in August. I came up with it inspired by my experience of quarantine and the feeling of insanity that comes with so much isolation. I wanted to use different prop choices and expressions to convey this insanity in a creative way.

-Mia Frank, ‘21

"young love" is a piece that captures the passion of falling in love. I created this piece to show how something as simple as loving who you want and expressing that, is scary for many people but I have hope that gen z can pave the way for a more understanding future. I showcased this young love as its own work of art among the art pieces behind them, because young people love fast and hard and there is such beauty in that. People shouldn’t be judged for falling in love too “easily” or to “passionately,” they should be judged for not loving at all.

-Naiobi Benjamin, ‘22

This piece is about having to give up on training, because of of quarantine. I used boxing as a way to vent during my years at Archer. It helped me calm down, and helped my decision making, in an indirect way. Not having boxing, while still having to go through school, made me stressed. I felt I was giving up my fight, so I made this as a memorial piece.

-Bey Weston, ‘21

I wanted to explore the intricate concept of love and its ability to transcend reality. I used acrylic paint to create the idea of two people merging together both physically and spiritually. I wanted to demonstrate the severity of their love, by having both people morph in a way that distorts parts of them, hinting at how love can have profound effects on one's existence.

-Leah Abazari, ‘22

This piece was heavily inspired by the poem "Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front" by Wendell Berry. I've felt trapped inside during this pandemic and his writing reminds me how to be happy. "So, friends, every day do something / that won’t compute / invest in the millennium / Plant sequoias / Say that your / main crop is the forest / that you did not plant / that you will not live to harvest."

-Billi Newmyer, ‘21