Blach's Clubs: where

Eliana Tekie

Painting a more inclusive present

now. However, this year’s piece had a new vision After realizing that Blach’s mural collection consisted mainly of Western artists, she decided to diversify the school’s collection, stating that she wanted, “Our art to represent our school.”

Blach Gives Back’s contribution to

Blach’s mural club has left a strong footprint on our school this year. Blach owes its variety of artwork to its mural club, which meets every Friday after school in the art room. The club was first created by an art teacher in the 1980’s and was then passed down from art teacher to teacher The club is now considered a Blach tradition.

Mrs. Patricia Tsuan, Blach’s art and architecture/ interior design teacher, has run the club for ten years

Mrs. Tsuan compiled a list of different possible art pieces and then had the club vote. Snow in Toji Temple, first created by Japanese print artist Asano Takeji in 1953, was chosen Eigth grade member Alisha Ramani they would be interested. “I originally just did it because Emmy and Anoushka were,” Kim admits, “but then I realized that I had a passion for volunteering.” states, “ It’s a pretty simplistic piece, but we chose it because we wanted an artist of color to add to the school’s collection.”

Blach Gives Back, Blach’s volunteer club, was responsible for last November’s bake sale, which ended up raising over $600. Besides the bake sale, whose profits were donated to Make A Wish, a foundation dedicated to fulfilling the last wishes of children with cancer, the club has also worked on multiple other projects in the past year.

This piece, along with 2019’s Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali, are favorites of Mrs. Tsuan for their symbolism. “We had some really talented artists that stood out this year,” she nods.

The idea for a volunteering club at Blach started last year with 8th grader Emmy Su, who had always loved the idea of a volunteering club. “A lot of students like volunteering,” she explains “They just don’t have a place to do it. I wanted to do a toiletries drive, and the best way to do it was to start a volunteering club.”

Emmy then asked her friends Anoushka Dugar and Lydia Kim if

The trio decided to ask Mrs. Tiffany Hickman, their homeroom teacher at the time, to be club supervisor Mrs. Hickman consented. Since then, the club has accomplished a multitude of projects,