For the month of February, we have Gina Migliaccio as the artist of the month, a senior who creates artwork to expresses herself. She spends a great deal of her time composing art in the school art room. When Gina isn’t spending part of her school day at BOCES, she does independent study as a drawer at Ossining High School with art teacher, Ms. Shams. Although Ossining High School’s extravagant art program allows all students to participate and follow their interests in a number of art classes including Painting, Drawing, and Design, Gina chooses to spend her time drawing with charcoal, a very light and ash-like substance.

Gina is only one of the few students at Ossining High School that chooses to do independent study in the art department with Ms.Shams. One of the most surprising things about Gina’s independent study is that she selects the topics of her following drawing projects. She finds inspiration from either other students’ art projects, as Gina comes in and works on her projects some days, or from Pinterest. Like a large amount of artists, Gina has developed her passion, drawing, from the time she was little and has chosen to pursue her desire throughout middle school and high school: “around 12 or 13,” Gina stated in an interview with the high school artist. When asked what painting project she was most proud of, she immediately stated it was a drawing of her hands holding a rosary, made up of charcoal medium. This aesthetic drawing shows different shades of black and white, which master the realisticness of the project. Despite her tremendous talent, Gina views drawing as a way to entertain herself during her free time throughout the school day, instead of seeking and striving to major in the art field. When asked if she sees herself pursuing art after high school, Gina stated, “I see drawing more as a hobby.” She views room 321 as a pleasant and luminous room filled with young talented artists throughout the school day. She greatly contributes to the bright ideas swirling around the room. As Gina’s drawing neighbor, it’s clear that Gina is very talented and looks forward to drawing with charcoal while sharing her spirit with her other classroom friends, who all appreciate her presence as well!