Art Show Michelle & Alana

A reception and show featuring the works of senior artists Michelle Wan (graphic design) and Alana Colaccino (graphic design and mixed media) was held in Tremaine Art Center on February 17.

From Hong Kong, Michelle Wan always wished to be artistically creative and loved drawing as a young child but was discouraged by people telling her she would not be any good. It was not until her junior year at Suffield when she found her artistic voice. “My creative work mostly includes graphic design, gifs, occasionally some charcoal, and even curating Suffield’s Art & Literary Magazine last year,” she explains. “I believe that art can express social criticism through simple lines, patterns, bright colors, and with the freedom to interpret the pieces in different ways. My favorite works present the theme of women empowerment and silence. Being silent can be either positive or negative depending on the viewer’s perspective. Examples of being silent include acting as a bystander, choosing to not care or speak up, meditating, suffering as a victim of abuse, or even being physically restrained to talk.”

From Suffield, Connecticut, Alana Colaccino is a teacher’s assistant for Mrs. Graham’s graphic design course and also a curator for Suffield Academy’s Art & Literary Magazine. Her work features graphic design and mixed media with traditional pencil drawings and added digital elements. “I always loved my crafts when I was younger,” she says. “I’d walk around the house with a half-sewn stuffed animal in hand, fabric taken from excess curtain material, and buttons from one of my old jackets. I later began to experiment with more traditional forms of art, moving through a colored-pencil realism phase and spending hours exploring techniques from different YouTube videos. I ventured into photography during my freshman year, learning the different elements of composition and familiarizing myself with the darkroom. During my sophomore year, I merged my nascent artistry with graphic design elements to create my own style. I lean towards digital reinterpretations of more traditional art forms.”