When Palatka youth Isabella “Bella” Thomas’ sculpture was selected to be exhibited at the National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Virginia, she knew she had to see it for herself.
Bella and her family traveled to Richmond, Virginia, on March 20 to see the exhibition of 150 sculptures submitted by students from kindergarten through 12th grade from across the country. Her ceramic teacher, Eva Fales, also made the trip.
“It was an honor and privilege to have my work included in this year’s exhibition along with so many other creative pieces,” Bella said.
Her mom, Kim Thomas, agreed.
“It was an amazing sight to see all the sculptures submitted by students and see the wonderful talent,” she said.
The Thomas family also attended the awards reception, where they met other student artists, volunteers, committee members, teachers and exhibit juror Leigh Taylor Mickelson, an arts administrator and curator with 24 years of experience.
Bella said her sculpture was part of a class assignment, where students were asked to create a sculpture to help bring awareness to a global concern.
So she did.
“I chose the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is a huge collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean,” the 17-year-old Palatka Junior-Senior High School 11th grader said. “The title of my piece is ‘Lungs of the Ocean.’”
A student in Fales’ ceramic class for the past three years, Bella has learned to be creative using a variety of techniques and was happy to have her piece selected for the exhibit.
The National K-12 Juried Exhibition was on display March 20-22 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center showcasing the best ceramic work from students all over the country, according to a news release from Fales. It was on exhibition at the National Council on the Education of Clay Arts conference, where Bella’s work was viewed by thousands of ceramics artists, professors, teachers, hobbyists and professionals from all over the country.
According to Fales, the show included 150 pieces chosen from 1,163 student pieces art teachers all across the country selected.
“To my knowledge, Bella was the only student who had their work submitted from our area and was the first student ever to represent Palatka Junior-Senior High School at the exhibition,” said Fales, the ceramic teacher at the school for 15 years.
Bella describes her piece as a cross-section of human lungs painted as the layers of the ocean and filled with textured garbage and debris.
“It is to represent the effects of pollution on air quality,” she said. “It is my hope that viewers take away awareness of the Great National Garbage Patch and other ocean pollution that harms ocean life and our air quality.”
Bella has made many sculptures during her time in Fales’ class, including a replica of her shoe, a butter dish, a flower vase, an architectural slab of the Arch de Triumph in Paris, bowls, plates and coffee mugs.
“I am honored and excited that my work was selected for the national exhibition,” Bella said. “It has been an incredible and humbling experience. I am so thankful to Mrs. Fales, K-12 Clay and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts for this opportunity.”
Since the sculpture was returned to Palatka from Virginia, it has been showcased in the school’s display case near the Panther Den.
“Bella’s work in ceramics is consistently outstanding,” Fales said. “She is dedicated to creating original and engaging work of excellent craftsmanship. She challenges herself and grows with each project.”
Fales hosted a surprise celebration in Bella’s honor March 1 at the high school, where friends and school staff attended. The celebration included a table with banners and balloons as the backdrop and cake.
Bella’s dad, Shaun Thomas, said he is incredibly proud of his daughter and all of her accomplishments.
“We are very humbled that she was chosen and had this opportunity to grow in ceramics with Mrs. Fales and experience this exhibition,” he said. “We are so excited to see what God has in store for her in the future.”
