Two Leander ISD students — Vanessa Bonilla Garcia of Rouse High School and Kambry Jackson of Glenn High School — have been selected to have their artwork on display at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin as part of the 2024-2025 Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) Youth Art Month Exhibition.
“On behalf of Leander ISD and the fine arts office, congratulations to Vanessa and Kambry for their outstanding achievements at Youth Art Month,” said Megan Liles, LISD director of visual and performing arts. “Their dedication, passion, and vision embody the spirit of artistic expression that makes March a special time to recognize the power of youth creativity. These awards reflect not just their hard work, but also the potential of our youth shaping the future of art.”
Both Bonilla Garcia and Jackson created their pieces for the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition, the largest art competition in Texas, and were then selected by Leander ISD Fine Arts to represent the district in the Youth Art Month Exhibition, which features artwork from students all over the state. Bonilla Garcia and Jackson were honored for their accomplishments at an awards ceremony on March 9 at the Bullock Museum.
The TAEA Youth Art Month Exhibition will be on display in the Bob Bullock Museum through March 29.
Learn more about each piece below.
Vanessa Bonilla Garcia, Rouse HS | “Lily Pads Open the Path to Flowers”
What does your artwork represent?
“My original character Alex, whom was originally a part of my freshman short film, “Nightmares Are Not A Part of Me”. In that film, Alex is a boy who suffers with sleep paralysis. That sleep paralysis demon is called the Whatever Creature which, turns out, is Alex’s depression and anxiety. In the end, Alex learns that the Whatever Creature was him (in a way) and embraces it as a part of him.
I wanted to continue that story and try to visualize what happens after; that was when I realized that Alex would take the Whatever Creature with him, anywhere and have adventures together. That was when I drew out the flower field and began to add small details that contributed to the message of the entire piece as a whole which is to appreciate the small things in life.
After I finalized Alex and the Whatever Creature’s design, I drew thumbnail sketches outlining the composition, then I chose the one that suited the story best and then I replicated that same composition onto smaller panels and used watercolor to figure out the color palette. Every single choice I made was to push the story into the forefront.”
What is it like being a part of this exhibition?
“Being a part of this exhibition is one of my greatest accomplishments as I feel so honored to have my piece, among many others, represent what it means to be and feel youthful. There are so many people who feel different and secluded because of their differences. Alex’s differences are my differences and I created him as an outlet to my own experiences and dreams, so in a way, I feel so honored that there will be so many more people who can relate and find a piece of Alex in them. And I sincerely hope more kids will create their own characters in their own world as I feel like youth exists to remind everyone of the beauties that life brings.”
How has your time in art classes at Leander ISD impacted you? Is there a class or teacher in particular that has inspired you?
“Being in Art 1 and AP Art with Mrs. Acevedo has been such a catalyst in my art career. Thanks to Mrs. Acevedo I was able to compete in many different art competitions. With every event, I could feel myself overcoming a barrier and that is what led me to catapult myself into experimenting with different techniques. All this experimentation is what allowed me to be accepted into many art universities.
Thanks to Mrs. Acevedo, I will be able to go to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. And so, I will continue my growth with all the passion and dedication that Mrs. Acevedo has shown me, to the world.”
Kambry Jackson, Glenn HS | “Volume 3: Kambry”
What does your artwork represent?
“My piece is part of a series I have been working on for a few years. Once a year I make a self-portrait about how I feel about myself and where I am in life. This painting was made last year during my freshman year in high school, and it was meant to convey my struggles with my anxiety, and how that had caused me to retreat into myself and struggle with accepting who I am becoming as I grow up.”
What is it like being a part of this exhibition?
“It’s a huge honor to be able to represent my school and the district! I had originally made this piece to compete in the VASE art competition, so I had no idea that it would eventually end up in a museum. I think that it’s extremely important to recognize the fine arts programs at schools, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to showcase a painting that I worked so hard on.”
How has your time in art classes at Leander ISD impacted you? Is there a class or teacher in particular that has inspired you?
“Before I joined an art class in 7th grade I had not considered the possibility of being a good painter, but my teacher in middle school, Travis Ballantyne, seriously sparked my interest in art. I created the first painting in my self-portrait series in his class and continued to add onto the series in high school. My current painting teacher, Monica Patterson, has taught me so much about painting and constantly encourages me to push myself further in many different aspects of art. Thanks to Mrs. Patterson and her teaching, I recently found that my most recent addition to my self-portrait series is going to state at the VASE art competition.”
