The Freestyle Academy program hosted its annual art exhibition to celebrate the accomplishments of its students. It was held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on Friday, February 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with free admission. The exhibition displayed student projects such as films, websites, poster art, CD art, illustrations, photography and writing.

“I think it’s really cool to see how all of the classes intertwine with one another,” Freestyle student junior Marissa Jakubowski said. “It all just makes more sense and makes it both easier and more fun to learn. It’s also really cool to see how much talent everybody else has.”

Freestyle was founded in 2006 after former District Superintendent Rich Fischer envisioned a technology program where students could integrate their ideas about what they want to say with the world of art. The exhibition began the same year Freestyle was established.

“We wanted to get [the students] to communicate their ideas to the world in lots of different mediums,” program coordinator Leo Florendo said. “We teach them how to communicate professionally. If you have something to say, come to us and we’ll teach you how to say it.”

Freestyle also serves as a platform to express and find one’s passion. The opportunities provided at Freestyle help students express themselves creatively.

“We sell Freestyle as an opportunity for you to find your passion,” Florendo said. “You should be passionate about what you do, no matter what you do.”

Students at Freestyle incorporate aspects of an English narrative assignment into a multitude of art forms using the skills they learn from the program.

From the narrative, students create a graphic novel, a diptych that conveys the climax of the narrative using Photoshop and an illustration that delivers the same message metaphorically.

“I think it’s really fun to get to use all three classes to creatively execute an idea such as the narrative,” junior Gabrielle Makower said. “It’s always fun to see not only your own work displayed, but your friends’ work, too.”

Freestyle students voted prior to the exhibition to select the best music videos, narrative films and senior profile films. The films were compiled together in a two hour show in the theater of the Computer History museum.

“As the program director, it’s just beautiful to see all the work put together in one place,” Florendo said. “Normally you just see little bits and pieces, but to see it all in its total mass is very cool.”