Nestled in downtown Los Gatos, New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) features 97 student art pieces in their annual ArtNow exhibition. ArtNow, a high school competition that celebrates artists across Santa Clara County awarded 11 Los Altos High School students a position in NUMU’s gallery — the most from any high school. 

Ranging from paintings to ceramic sculptures, students explored this year’s theme of “Before / Between / Beyond.” 

The gallery is open March 27 to July 19. The final award ceremony will take place May 2 from 3-6 p.m. Below is an introduction to the chosen pieces.

Ashley Avidan – “Chain of Life”

Junior Ashley Avidan said she hopes to break a chain of standards set by the generations before her.

“It’s a difficult process to break apart from those who came before,” Ashley said. 

Using acrylic to paint a figure adding to a long line of paper chains, Ashley depicts the gradual effort of breaking preexisting patterns she inherits. She explored the concept of leaving a lifestyle ingrained generationally: graduating, pursuing careers familiar to her family and staying within the expectations of her parents. She hopes to veer into a different career path than the rest of her family.

Tilly Burgart – “Blooming Futures”

Sophomore Tilly Burgart said the world today “is not a friend of transgender people.” They know how fear blocks their path forward and how many trans people get stuck in a cycle of hate and pain. 

“I was one of those people, but I was able to come out and break this pattern,” Tilly said. “So I just wanted to share trans joy.”

By escaping a cycle of hate, Tilly said they’re free to grow and be themself. Using acrylic, oil pastels, clay and hot glue on paper, “Blooming Future’s” 3D elements emphasize jumping forward and being “different” without shame. With the graduation from dark to vibrant colors, Tilly highlights the theme of hope for the future.

Natalie Cheung – “Postponed”

“Postponed” by sophomore Natalie Cheung portrays a room — cramped, cluttered and almost impossible to make sense of. 

“It represents how our lives are full of a bunch of crap sometimes,” sophomore Natalie Cheung said.

As students become consumed by their ever growing schedules, Natalie recognized that sometimes, it’s what holds them back. With only an ink pen — her favorite medium — she depicts how these daily, monotonous patterns of to-dos can overwhelm one’s perspective of what is truly important. Consequently, Natalie said the bigger picture of one’s life gets pushed to the side. 

Anna Davidson – “Anticipation”

Sophomore Anna Davidson captures the period in between one’s past and future, as they wait for something to happen. Inspired by the feeling of suspense for action, growth and understanding, Anna “explores the idea of before through a moment of quiet anticipation,” according to her artist statement.

Kennedy Hautop – “Misplaced”

In the acrylic painting, senior Kennedy Hautop explores the cost of that conformity by depicting a housewife in the midst of a desert. Her artist statement describes that the housewife is attached to the task of building a life that she has long outgrown, a haunting reflection of the positions of people when they succumb to expectations.

Eli Hill –  “Consumption Cycle”

Junior Eli Hill’s sculpture is made entirely out of trash.

“If we keep the cycle of consuming, throwing away, consuming and throwing away, what does the future hold for our ecosystems?” Eli said.

By reusing trash to mold fish and glass to shape jellyfish, Eli uses the very material that harms ocean life to recreate it. His sculpture explores trends of consumption, destruction and their effects on the natural world. 

Mihika Kamat – “Stepping Out”

The end of high school seems right around the corner for junior Mihika Kamat. As her childhood is coming to a close, she feels that the future seemingly holds so much possibility.

“I’m leaving behind everything, not knowing what’s coming and I’m excited to look to the future and move forward,” Mihika said.

One day, Mihika said she will step out of her bedroom for one last time. But through the contrasting yellow and purples in “Stepping Out”, representing what used to and will be, Mihika shows how she’s excited for the bright future.

Aundy Pekelsma – “My Bubble”

Junior Aundy Pekelsma said she is protected by a bubble of comfort; her familiar high school life acts as an armor against the unknown. She knows that one day, it will have to burst.

“Now I’m going into the future, something outside of my bubble,” Aundy said.

Using makeup brushes to blend across colors, Aundy rendered the figure — a mirror of herself — as realistically as she could with oil painting.

Mia Scott – “A World Away”

Against the large archway, a photographed figure embodies a common fear.

“It symbolizes being forgotten in the world of corporate jobs, and being just another employee,” junior Mia Scott said.

The dark values in Mia’s photograph bring attention to the figure against the empty background. In a dead end, the model faces a blank uncertainty. Before the future consumes the model, they seem to ponder what they are destined to do, and what they are swept into doing.

Raghav Sharma — “Stasis”

Suspended under a cliff on a steep, unwritten summit, a climber persists. In such a space between progress and the past, the climber is at “stasis.”

“In the period of in-between, you’re not settled fully into either the past or future, and everything is jumbled,” sophomore Raghav Sharma said.

But Raghv believes that despite the uncertainty, the state of stasis brings forth reflection. By dwelling on both the past and future, he says that one can achieve anything. 

Niki Tan – “Over the Table”

Senior Niki Tan sees that culture is present in everyday actions. She writes in her artist statement that it diffuses from gestures and memories, and is practiced through traditions passed on through generations. She captured the fluidity of culture as it convenes in one shared table. As a youth pours tea for their elders, the past and future intersect. 

By centering the composition on the cups of tea, attention is brought to the relationship between inheriting a tradition and carrying it onwards, preserving its culture.