By: Tanvi Ambekar

Opinion Editor

As the 2025-26 school year draws to a close, the LGHS Electives Department highlighted their students’ work in the Annual Electives Showcase on Apr. 16, 17, and 18. The exhibit included work from LGHS’s Art, Ceramics, Digital Photography, Drama, Drawing, Fashion, Graphic Design, Metals, Music, and Painting classes. 

Although the various courses require very different skillsets, every student who participated shares a passion for art. Sophomore Viola Pap, a first-year Ceramics student, said that she enjoys Augustina Matsui’s class, because “I like working with my hands and not just sitting behind a desk.” She recalled that the most memorable piece she displayed at the show was a “beautiful ceramic pumpkin, and it had a human face.” Pap’s pumpkin was among many Ceramics students’ works featured at the exhibit. 

For senior Daniel Rose, the show provided an opportunity to explore his interest in war from a more unusual angle.  As he explained in his portfolio, “We only talk about the stories and perspectives of people. We talk about victors, strategies, important figures, and those who’ve lost. However, we never talk about the animals who’ve contributed to war…animals have been a part of war for thousands of years, and while their uses are much different now compared to medieval times, they still lay their lives on the line for others.” Enrolled this year in both Studio Art and Art 4 with Art teacher Mark Yanowsky, Rose has devoted countless hours throughout his high school career to various creative pursuits.

Marking her last exhibit at LGHS, the show was particularly meaningful to senior Alina Prostota, who elaborated upon her central project: “I’m exploring the idea of Christianity and how the moral teachings of the Bible have held up over the years. I have one piece about Abraham and Isaac, one piece about the use of water throughout the Bible, and one piece of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.” These pieces will make up the core of her AP Art portfolio. In terms of the overall show, Prostota enthused, “I always look forward to having the school see all the work [the art students] put in. Especially with the school being so STEM focused, I think art needs a little more love and attention.” The showcase was an opportunity to underscore the diversity and beauty that LGHS students create throughout the year. 

The artists who presented at the display shared similar sentiments. Car Nauss, a current junior and Art 2 student, said that her favorite part of art is the freedom: “I get to experiment with color.”Junior Alex Andrey Olvera Nagamedianova agreed; his favorite piece is a linocut of Ralsei, an animated character that serves as the primary inspiration for a majority of his work. These two students really appreciated the free rein they have when it comes to their creativity, and both expressed enthusiasm for continuing the program in the years to come. 

About showing his work in a more public setting, Olvera Nagamedianova admitted, “I’m a little bit shy because it’s my interest, but, yeah, of course [I was excited].” For these five artists and so many more, the LGHS Electives Showcase offered a unique platform for them to present their work to the school and broader Los Gatos community.