Finding Value in Art

At Overlake, field trips are a regular part of student life. Whether it’s going on an experiential project or an extension of a classroom project, exploration off campus is a common occurrence.

For C Jaap’s Advanced Drawing and Painting class, it’s an opportunity to go shopping.

On Monday, her class went on a short field trip to Redmond’s Value Village Thrift store in search of art subjects. “I gave each student five dollars and told them to find objects that have a connection in their art,” says Jaap who herself did some treasure hunting. “I want them to not find objects they necessarily like, but, rather, ones that will translate into an incredible piece of art.”

Entering the store, her only instructions were to be done in forty-five minutes with receipts in hand. Students could go over the five-dollar limit but would have to pay out of their own pockets.

Not setting any limits on the size or number of objects, students walked out of the store with a variety of items. “I only got two things,” says Betsy C. ’18. “They’re music boxes, and I think I may take one of them apart for my stage.”

Returning to the art studio, the students will stage their objects before a drawing pencil even touches paper. It’s the final drawing project before artists transition to paints.

The longtime Overlake art teacher says that the field trip has an additional purpose. “I’m trying to show them that something that is discarded can be re-purposed into a beautiful object that can viewed for years. I’ve taken students to junkyards to scavenge for art projects, and for many of my artists it’s the first time they’ve gone to such places,” says Jaap. “There’s art everywhere, and even in some of the most surprising places.”

We’ll check back in with the class to see their final projects on display.