Down the furthest hallway from the entrance on the bottom level of the school sits the secluded art hallway. Filled with creations, projects and sculptures, this hidden hallway is one of the least walked in the school due to its inconvenient place apart from the rest. Students often don’t think to walk through it unless they have a class relating to art, or if they’re passing by through the basement. Although it’s disconnected, this section of the building houses all the hidden gems created by art students, with some projects even going so far as to be displayed in Lindenwood’s Foundry Arts Centre during their exhibitions. With the hallway being full of life and creativity, if someone hadn’t thought to visit it before, they might be missing out.

“I remember when I first came here my sophomore year, I was really mad about it [being secluded],” junior Krystal Maxwell said. “Why is all the art just put downstairs where no one can find it?”

This area, unlike the last in the old building, isn’t in a mainstream area for everyone passing to see. But that doesn’t mean it’s less important, or that there isn’t a reason for it. Not only does its seclusion offer security from students who may mess with the art, but it also provides a safe space for the community itself. Many art students at North believe art plays a crucial role in the culture at FHN, with creative freedom and ability of expression being encouraged and displayed along the hallway’s many cases. In these cases, you can find sculptures, ceramic pieces and artistic drawings created by students in the surrounding classes. These pieces can focus on many different themes, including self-expression, symmetry and animals. Creators are given a deadline, often being about a month, to create their pieces before they are displayed with their names headlining them.

“Art has brought me to a community,” junior Lauren Hazen said. “It helps me express myself.”

Outside of the wide variety of classesoffered for art students, North has an art club for students to join after school. This club offers a wider variety of artistic pieces and skills to be developed, without the restraints of classroom assignments. Elizabeth Auchly, an Intro to Art teacher at North, is the runner of the club. She makes sure it offers a safe space for artistic students to express themselves and bring a community together through shared interests, while giving students an opportunity to create art if they do not have the option to at home. Students feel welcomed and comfortable in this space, encouraging others to join if they have a passion in the arts and want to pursue that interest.

“I really like that it’s a space where I can both hang out with my friends and do art,” junior Bailey Cosby said. “It’s definitely a big way for me to express myself around other people.”

No matter which medium or stylistic preferences someone has, they will always have a place here at North to freely express themselves. The art hallway and projects displayed are truly like no other, and even if someone is just starting out and doesn’t know where to go and what to do, the welcoming community always has room for more.

“[The art] brings the community together,” Maxwell said.

The introduction of the new Francis Howell North building brought many positives. However, many students have taken issue with the decision to place the art hallway in the basement, isolated from the rest of the school. Administrators did not intend for this seclusion; they were only trying to follow the blueprints.

“The art hallway was designed to be like the setup at [the original] Francis Howell High School,” Jon Schultz, the principal, said. “So if you look at the two buildings, most of the departments are in very similar locations. It was also just set up so there would be more space in those areas.”

The art hallway is unique from standard classrooms at North with several key characteristics that separate this section of the school and its surrounding area. Certain spaces are needed in order for the students to carry out their creative projects.

“We have concrete floors, high top tables, track lighting, and our rooms connect,” Skwira, an art teacher, said. “You also have the kiln room and the paint room, which need to be exhausted.”

Considering the isolated location, students struggle to get recognition for their artwork. Art teachers have taken notice of these issues and are brainstorming solutions to allow the entire student body to have exposure to artworks.

“The basement is a hindrance to the art department because nobody ever sees the artwork,” Skwira said. “We are getting creative with ways to display the artwork, like displaying it in the guidance office and in front of the school.”

Artists within the school are focused on learning how to promote and encourage others to see the fruits of their labor.

“I think that you have to inspire people to come to those spaces,” Shultz said. “And that’s the truth of any artist, with the struggle of getting people to come see your work. One thing that we’ve done is get the display case going this year, and I think that’s been an important component in just making sure that we bring student work into the school.”

Molly Montgomery, a freshman at FHN, believes that bringing student artwork like hers to a more central location could highlight and create a deeper appreciation for art in FHN overall.

“Molly’s a really great artist who puts a lot of effort and detail into everything she does,” Liz Auchly said.

Montgomery is in Intro to Art this year, and she has created many artworks, not just inside of school but at home as well, frequently spending time drawing. Creating art outside of school gives her more time to build on what she is learning in Intro to Art without a deadline.

“At first, I come up with an idea in my head, then I will look on Pinterest to see how other people have done it, if they have already,” Montgomery said.

Beginning with her own idea shows how Montgomery trusts in her own creative abilities, but is also open to other interpretations of it, such as new styles or methods through research. In today’s digital age, people have creative inspiration readily available, but not all people take advantage of this like Montgomery does.

“I’ve always liked art as a kid, so I would say I really became interested in it by kindergarten,” Montgomery said.

Although childhood hobbies often fade, Montgomery’s passion for art continues to grow. What started out as crayon drawings, eventually developed into detailed paintings and drawings. While schoolwork and responsibilities increased, she has always found time to create what she loved. Without the art program at North, Montgomery would not have been able to express herself through art in school.

“I really like the art program here because the teachers support you in any design aspect you need help with,” Montgomery said.

Pros:

It should be noted that not all students are averse to the art hallway’s location in the basement. In fact, many are able to recognize the new art wing’s positive qualities.

“Since the art hallway is a little bit tucked away, it would be good for people that don’t want their art out there for everyone to see,” Maxwell said.

What students truly believe sets the current art hallway apart from the old school’s is its new facilities that were not previously available.

“In Mrs. Flamm’s room, there’s a connecting room called the spray room,” junior Bailey Cosby, another art student, said. “It’s for spray painting. The room connects straight to the outside, which is possible because of the hallway’s location in the basement. That’s probably the most unique thing here.”

By virtue of its position in the basement, the art hallway can enjoy features like this, which, as students like Cosby seem to believe, provide a valuable addition to the art department.

Cons:

Those who dislike the art hallway’s location in the new building point to the fact the hallway is, in effect, sequestered away from the rest of the school.

“It’s like it’s hidden,” FHN art student Krystal Maxwell said. “Seeing as no one besides students can see the art, I don’t think [its location] is the best.”

Students like Maxwell take issue with the fact that their peers are unable to see their work unless they deliberately go out of their way to visit the art hallway. While it may be missing key attributes present in the new art wing, the old building’s art hallway seems to hold fond memories for North’s student body.

“I remember the old art hallway,” Digital Art and Design student Lauren Hazen said. “It was really pretty. I really can’t say the same about this hallway, it’s kind of sad and sterile.”

The old building’s art hallway was more centrally located within the building, which, in retrospect, makes the current art hallway seem more disjointed from the rest of the school.

“It was cool to be going to another class and just see all this gorgeous and beautiful artwork,” Maxwell said.

Where trophies and plaques for sports and other extracurricular activities are given noticeable, considerable space, student artwork is given one small glass case next to the cafeteria, and the rest is in the art hallway, a place that students usually only venture down to if they are already taking art classes. While this glass case is an improvement from last year, many believe it to be a somewhat lackluster one.

“I think the two spots they have now are good, but I feel like people just walk by the trophy cabinet with the art in it,” junior Wyatt Valleroy said. “I think it should be somewhere more central, not the library either.”

Proudly presenting student artwork out in the open for all to see plays a major role in sparking the idea to take up art in a student who may have never considered it before. The less student art is shown off, the less likely it is that another student may consider taking up art.

“I think there’s a huge impact because of the lack of visibility,” AP art teacher Courtney Flamm said. “Students that might not know they have an interest in art and never come downstairs don’t see all the cool stuff that’s down here, so maybe they won’t become as interested in taking art classes.”

There is quite a bit of unused space throughout the building that could be transformed into an incredible display of student creativity. Even beyond simple display cases, some wish to see more personal touches brought to the building, something adjacent to the painted walls and murals of the old building. Outside of the building, holding more art shows and having school social media accounts that display student artwork are valuable ideas that could be easily implemented.

“I think that, especially posting things on social media, it’s just better when people get to see something, that’s how I feel,” Valleroy said. “I like sharing art… what I really liked about the old building was the artwork that was riddled all over the walls, like the painted bricks and stuff.”

The art department recently acquired a bulletin accordion wall that can fold and be wheeled around all sorts of places in the school, the transportability of which could potentially lead to more front and center displays depending on where they are authorized to display it. Beyond this, the art teachers are always looking for new ways that students’ artworks can be displayed and made far more noticeable.

“I’m getting happier with it, I love our bulletin walls we have down here,” Flamm said. “I also like our accordion wall. I’ve just been brainstorming and looking for new places to display that wall, and then Mr. Schultz also gave us that glass case where we can display stuff in the main entrance…So I feel like people upstairs can see more of our stuff.”