Tamaqua Area High School seniors Amanda Sotalin and Stephen Nieves, along with teacher Lori Remmel, had their artwork displayed at the juried art show “Master and Grasshopper: An Art Exhibition of Regional High School Art Teachers and Their Students.” The exhibit was held at the Loomis Gallery at Mansfield University.

Each participant provided personal insight into their artwork.

Sotalin titled her piece “Rebirth.”

She says, “In high school, I have learned a plethora of useful skills, traditional and nontraditional artistic skills that have helped me improve as an artist.

“The nontraditional processes have given me a completely new perspective on what constitutes art. My artwork explores the concept of storytelling with little or no words. Through the use of different mediums, such as watercolor, oil paints and acrylics, I seek to tell a story capable of reaching anyone. My work is mainly influenced by the incredible array of superstitions and religious beliefs that people value. I’m amazed and intrigued by the different and unique stories every person carries with them, and I wish to communicate my own stories, experiences and beliefs in the same way they confidently tell their stories. My work is filled with symbolism and emotion that any viewer can interpret their own unique way, allowing them to interact with my work in their own individual way.”

Nieves says he only had a “vague idea of the type of art I was interested in before high school art classes. I feel like I have a stronger understanding of my artistic side. I learned how to explore ideas that might be outside of my comfort zone and how to add dimension and life to my art.

“Nothing has to be perfect. There is beauty in weirdness and being unique. Through the use of watercolor, detailed drawing, or shading I try to convey a vibe, which is usually inspired by music and emotions. All of my pieces personally mean something to me, but my goal is for my art to be based solely on the viewer’s perspective. This is why I rarely give any context on the composition of my work. The use of nature, colors or arrangement all play a role in my symbolic meaning of the piece.”

His piece is titled “Summer.”

Remmel’s piece is titled “Pig (He)art.”

Her thoughts include, “Through my work in paint, collage and photography, I’m able to explore narrative both within myself and the world around me. I embrace the intuitive, hands-on nature of art making, and through my work in several mediums I’ve discovered that the constant element in my work is my love for repurposing ephemera and discard. I’m fascinated by the transitory nature, spontaneous beauty and history inherent to these scraps. By handling the same materials that others have touched in a new capacity, my ideas become part of their story.”

More of Remmel’s work is currently on display at the Tamaqua Community Art Center, 125 Pine St., Tamaqua.