FONTANA, CA – Jurupa Hills High School seniors Danielle Turner, Kaitlin Cervantes and Daniela Garcia were selected to feature their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase, recognizing their creative talent, technique and conceptual skills.

The students were selected for the showcase – which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8 – by Aubry Grosso, who teaches International Baccalaureate (IB) Art at Jurupa Hills High School. The exhibition features more than 50 artworks of high school students throughout the city.

“I have been teaching these students for multiple years and have gotten to see them grow as artists and individuals,” Grosso said. “All my students are so talented and a lot of them are surprised at what they can do. With a little guidance, they are able to tap into their creative sides and make some really incredible pieces.”

Turner won the Best in Show award for her piece “Black Identity,” a mixed medium piece created with tools and methods that include acrylic paint, photo transfer and cotton balls. It is a self-portrait, symbolizing both the positive and negative history of Black people within America and highlighting elements of Black culture. The focus of Turner’s piece is an Afro, which she said conveys how hair is not only a symbol of beauty for many Black women, but also how it can be used to identify time periods in Black history.

“My late grandfather is the inspiration behind my art,” Turner said. “He not only helped me first discover my love for art, but was also my best friend in life. I use art to communicate with him still.”

Cervantes’ art piece, “In All Directions,” won the Discipline and Innovation award for her representation of how anxiety feels. The self-portrait, made of oil paint, depicts Cervantes being pulled in multiple directions to display the overwhelming feelings and pressures that she faces – and to shock the viewer.

“Having been chosen to have my art displayed in the showcase was a dream come true for me,” Cervantes said. “Art has been a huge passion of mine from a very young age, so getting recognized for my work was incredibly exciting and motivating.”

Cervantes plans to major in art after graduating from high school and aspires to write and illustrate a children’s book in the future.

Garcia made her self-portrait, “Muerte Viviente” or “The Living Dead,” with acrylic paint, watercolors and a red permanent marker. It reflects how she truly views herself and the world. Garcia, who has been pursuing art her whole life, said everything she does and sees in the world somehow relates back to her art.

“My experiences and surroundings inspire me,’ Garcia said. “I am able to twist what I see into my own perspective and use my imagination to create a beautiful piece.”

The Jurupa Hills High School IB Art class will hold an end-of-year art exhibition in partnership with the Foundation of Hope at the beginning of April to showcase the students’ skills and achievements throughout the year.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_ART1: Jurupa Hills High School seniors Daniela Garcia (left), Kaitlin Cervantes (center), and Danielle Turner (right) were selected by their International Baccalaureate Art teacher Aubry Grosso to display their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase.

FUSD_ART2: (Top to bottom) Jurupa Hills High School senior Kaitlin Cervantes’ art piece, “In All Directions,” is a self-portrait depicting the subject being pulled in multiple directions as a representation of anxiety. Senior Daniela Garcia’s piece, “Muerte Viviente,” is a depiction of how Garcia views herself and the world around her. Both pieces were chosen to be featured in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase.

FUSD_ART3: Jurupa Hills High School senior Danielle Turner’s art piece, “Black Identity,” will be displayed in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase through Sunday, Jan. 8. Turner won the Best in Show award for her piece, a self-portrait that symbolizes both the positive and negative history of Black people within America.