His Presence – 11×16 Acrylic, by Taylor Dempsey ’15 – This piece was inspired by my Catholic faith. The cross was a gift from my my parents upon the sacrament of Confirmation. This was a special moment in my life because I was committing myself to my faith and strengthening my bond with God. The red carnation symbolizes love and this shows my love for God and the relationship that I share with Him. Lastly, I have the 9 beams of sunlight that symbolize the Holy Spirit. He guides, and is with me in all times, through my spiritual journey in life

Full Bloom – 20×12 Acrylic, by Chloe Cho ’14 – My spiritual piece represents where I am in my journey. The bright yellow tree in the center of the set of mirrors, or panels, depicts my personal image of my growth. Outside the panels are overflowing flowers from the tree that show the development I have experienced and personal surprise about going beyond my own expectations.

Chasing Hope – 12×18 Acrylic, by Zoe (Jia) Xiong ’16 – The road means the journey of my life. The yellow light means hope. Green fire represents passion and the hardships in my journey.

Emergence – 10×14 Acrylic, by Jacqueline Godin ’14 – I believe what represents my spirit at this time in my life is a butterfly just emerging from its chrysalis. I am just beginning to understand who I am and become the person I was meant to be. Throughout high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be. But now it is becoming clearer to me. The butterfly represents my soul and the chrysalis how it had been hidden away and developed without me consciously knowing it. Breaking free of the chrysalis is always a struggle for a butterfly, and they cannot be helped or they won’t be able to fly. That was the process of me finding out who I truly am. It is a struggle and it is one that I have to do alone. I have not completed finding out what my true soul is, but I am getting closer each day. Emergence is based on a photograph by Kevin T. Karlson.

Balance – 12×16 Watercolor, by Kathleen Brennan ’15 – This piece symbolizes the balance in my spirit. The bright fish shows the passion I have for art and the dark fish symbolizes the struggles that I overcome. My art helps me to overcome challenges in my life, as well as leading me towards a better relationship with God.

The Messanger – 12×18 Acrylic, by Victoria Saadi ’15 – I painted a fox because the fox is a symbol for a messenger. Jesus was sent by God to deliver his message. In the fox’s mouth is a rosary, which is a string of beads used during prayer. In the background are the three crosses that are a symbol of when Jesus was crucified with the two men. I used purple because it symbolizes royalty, and before Jesus was crucified, he was wearing a purple sash.

By Tracy Lundy

On Sunday, March 23, six artists from Chaminade’s high school celebrated their participation in the Robert Graham Memorial Student Art Exhibit with a special mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Kathleen Brennan ’15, Chloe Cho ’14, Taylor Dempsey ’15, Jacqueline Godin ’14, Victoria Saadi ’15 and Zoe (Jia) Xiong ’16 were blessed and recognized by Cathedral pastor, Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik for their involvement with the program.

The Robert Graham Memorial Student Art Exhibit is a notable citywide exhibit that invites 12 schools throughout the Archdiocese to each submit six pieces of student artwork. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez presided over the Mass for the Robert Graham Memorial Student Art Exhibit to kick-off the program. Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik blessed the students, handed out certificates, and spoke to all 72 artists. Stephen Graham, Robert Graham’s son and Gayle Garner Roski, chairperson of the Committee of Arts at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral were in attendance.

The annual exhibit is in honor of famed sculptor and artist, Robert Graham who passed away December 2008. Graham designed the figures gracing the entry to the coliseum for the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. He also designed the bronze doors of the Cathedral as well as the statue above the doors of Mary, Our Lady of the Angels.

The exhibit will be on display in the Cathedral galleries until May 2.

Pictured left to right: Victoria Saadi, Zoe (Jia) Xiang, Chloe Cho, Kathleen Brennan, Taylor Dempsey. Not pictured: Jacqueline Godin.