Ottawa Hills High School - Legend Yearbook (Grand Rapids, MI)

Page 32 text:

Fine Arts Develops Talents for Use in School Teachers, left to right: Miss Vcrnisc Pruitt. P. H. H.: Miss Hazel Zellner, B. sg Miss Ida A. Crcgo, B. S. Work in the art classes encourages the crea' tive ability of the students. Thoughts are ex' pressed in individual ways, and art work in' creases this power of expression. Through the means of drawing, design, and color, the artist tries to depict his emotions in pictures. Included in the different mediums by which one may represent his feelings in drawing, are charcoal, oil, water color, clay, and ink. Stu' dents learn how to express themselves through these different materials. Gil painting may be done abstractly, while water color painting is more definite. Lines are important in charcoal and pen and ink drawings. Many students enjoy making posters in art classes. These posters are attractively lettered and colored, and are used to advertise coming events such as plays, football and basketball games, or track meets. In this way direct con' tacts are supplied with the social and athletic activi' ties of the school, and the work of the art depart' ment is brought to the notice of the students, and a comprehension of related art is fostered. Another feature of art is sculpture. Through sculpture, artists express beauty or thoughts, tell a story,or keep facts, as in painting. The students make many beautiful clay statues, models,and group pieces. Although not so much wood carving is done, it is still popular with some students. Some of the things which they carve are Indian totem poles and mari' onette heads. The art classes are interested in the exhibits that are shown at the Grand Rapids Art Gallery. Each picture is an ex' ample of an art' ist's work, and new ideas and an understanding of art can be grasped by studying these original expres' sions. IZ4

Page 31 text:

fz Z? fi 1 Miss l.il.l Nl. Ihxls. A. H.: Miss l'fli:.ib-ll: M.uIh.'son. IS. 5,3 Miss ltslllzilx lavkson, II, S. Home Economics Teaches Better Methods of I-Iomemaking Mmm! That smells good! This remark echoes through the halls when students go by the cooking rooms on the third floor. What delightful lunches the young cooks have! VJouldn't you like a nice, fluffy omelet, a large, red, baked apple, a pot of golden brown beans, or some delicious strawberry jam to dip your fingers into? Perhaps you would rather have a nice wholesome meal with a pork chop, string beans, and scalloped potatoes. Instead of something to eat, would you like some new clothes because you haven't a thing to wear? The youthful seamstresses are skillful and can make any num' ber of things. A pretty smock, a dress, a pair of pajamas, a coat, an ensemble, a suit-all are products of the young sewers' hands. Parents of these students can't say, as they do of other things, fLWhCll I was young, I could do so and so. Instead they say, Did you make that dress? It looks very becoming on you. How often we hear some person say, 'LShe isn't very pretty, but she dresses attractively and looks well' groomed. In personal regimen the girls attempt to acquire good taste in their dress and in their manners. .xPF m-Q

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Music Expresses Students' Feelings Tcalclivrs. I-'fr In right: Mr. lvivrwyn Mitch--ll. A. ll.: Mi. Fra Showers, li. S. Miisic is commonly known as the uni' versal language. It expresses all the emo' tions - joy, sorrow, hate, fear, love. ln' stead of expressing their feelings by whisf tling or singing in the halls pupils harmonf ize in instrumental and singing classes. Up on the fifth floor the orchestra and band, besides small classes, practice every day. Why do they practice? The band plays for the football games in the fall, and a small group also plays at the basketball games. Every year the band has a concert at which it plays popular as well as class' ical music. When the students march into the auditorium, they do it to stirring marches played by the band or orchestra. If churches need music for something they are producing, they call for some of the members of the orchestra. The orchestra plays at the graduation exercises. The singing classes express their feelings in song on the third floor. The soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices combine in a delightful manner. You can hear them echoing through the halls during school hours, especially if you happen to be near there. The students sing operatic arias and folk songs, songs by composers of today and by great masters of the past. There are three organized music groups: the junior and senior glee clubs, and the a cappella choir. The junior glee club consists of seventh and eighth graders and the senior glee club of high school pupils. If the young singer shows that he has outstanding talent, he is placed in the a cappella choir. These choirs sometimes sing at assemblies. They also sing for other civic organizations in the city.