My name is Josie Parks and my Senior Project is going to be exploring my artistic abilities through contemporary art in today’s museums. I chose to do this for a simple reason; my mother. A member of the art world, my mom always encouraged me to come to museums with her as a kid, as well as do a lot of arts and crafts in hopes that I would discover a passion for art and maybe follow in her footsteps. Although I don’t think I will end up majoring in Art History in college, or becoming an Art Advisor, I can say that after a long time of resenting her for forcing it upon me, I have found that I do have an appreciation for art, and I thought that Senior Project would be a perfect time to explore it. 

My mom has always told me that I have a creative side, but it wasn’t until junior year that I felt like I actually began to explore it, specifically through James French’s Studio Art classes. Since then, I have created a few paintings in a few different styles and sizes, and I now feel that I am ready to move onto different forms of art – such as photography, sculpture making, and abstract art. It does help that my mother, Elizabeth Parks, works in the art world as an Art Advisor so I will definitely be using this to my advantage during my project time. I plan to intern for her 2 days a week, visit museums/galleries 1 day a week, and come into school 2 days each week. This schedule is flexible but it is something I plan to commit to as much as possible. I will dedicate my days in the school building to making pieces that are inspired by what I saw at the museums and galleries earlier that week. I will be setting a goal for myself to make at least one piece per week. These pieces will range anywhere from a clay sculpture to a painting to a series of photographs, loosely based on my inspirations. Eventually, all of my work will come together into a small art collection that I can share with parents, teachers, and classmates on Senior Project Presentation night. I will show pictures of the artists/pieces that inspired me along the way. As for service, I am planning to volunteer at God’s Love We Deliver weekly throughout the trimester. I have volunteered there many times before and I look forward to furthering my connection with the organization. Thank you for