February 2020

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The Pirates' Hook THE ARTS ISSUE

Self-Portrait Wins Second Prize

By Dean Hunter

Riverside Junior Kaitlin Khosravi-Far’s self-portrait earned second place in the high school division of the Durham’s Finest Art Gallery.

The Durham’s Finest art show was held from January 9-26. Around a hundred paintings, drawings, photographs and even sculptures were contributed from elementary, middle and high schools across the school district.

Over the course of the seventeen day event, which ran at North Carolina Central University, three hundred people visited to see the student artwork.

Khosravi-Far’s piece was the top drawing among high high school students, beaten only by a photograph from a student attending Durham School of the Arts.

The self-portrait was originally drawn as an assignment in art teacher Crystal Brown’s classroom, and Khosravi-Far had no intention of submitting it. The assignment was intended to be in black and white, but she asked and was given permission to draw it in color. When the drawing was finished, Brown submitted it to the gallery.

Khosravi-Far herself did not expect to do so well.

“I’ve had my drawings featured there before one time in middle school, but I never got anything for it,” she said. “I didn’t know how to feel. I don’t know, it just made me speechless, I was so happy.”

Por Dean Hunter Estudiante Kaitlin Khosravi-Far recibe segundo lugar en La galería de arte en durham La Estudiante de el tercer año Kaitlin Khosravi obtuvo el segundo lugar en la división de escuela se-

Local Mural Inspires Black History Program

By Cristela Vargas & Jakyies Evans

Junior Kaitlin Khosravi-Far's self potrait won second place among high school students at the annual Durham's Finest Art Show at NCCU. The piece was originally an assignment in Crystal Brown's visual arts class.

Riverside’s Black History Program is happening on Feb. 26.

The program is inspired by the Civil Rights mural in downtown Durham.

In 2013 a group of over 30 community members shared memories, newspapers clippings and photographs and worked together to design the mural's color scheme and composition.

The mural includes leaders such as Dr. Aaron Moore, Richard Fitzgerald, and John Merrick. Completed in 2015, it's open to the public at 120 Morris St. near the Durham Arts Council.

Dance teacher Kristin Duncan likes that the program incorporates local art and history.

“I think it would be nice to have a program that spoke about African Americans that helped the community and have promoted and supported change throughout the city,” she said.

Riverside has held Black History programs in the past, but when Duncan started working here in 2011 the school wasn’t doing one. So she decided to take it over with help from the theater department and an array of other clubs.

Theater arts teacher Monique Taylor encourages her students to take part in in several different ways.

“I love giving my students the opportunity to perform whenever possible,” Taylor said. "I hope that this performance can share African American culture with others who aren’t exposed to it.”

cundaria de la galería de arte más elegante de Durham.

La mejor exposición de arte de durham se llevó a cabo del 9 al 26 de Enero.Alrededor de un centenar de pinturas, dibujos, fotografías e incluso esculturas fueron aportadas por escuelas primarias, intermedias

presentarlo. La tarea está destinada a ser en blanco y negro, pero ella pregunto y se le dio permiso para dibujarla en color. Cuando el dibujo sea terminado, Brown lo submetio a la galleria.

Traducido por Katherine Aparicio Pereyra y Abigail Martinez

El Autorretrato Gana Jegundo Logar y secundarias de todo el condado. En el transcurso del evento de diecisiete días, que tuvo lugar del 9 al 26 de enero en la universidad Central de Carolina del Norte, trescientas personas visitaron para ver las obras de de los estudiantes.

La pieza de Khosravi-Far fue el

mejor dibujo entre los estudiantes de secundaria, solo superada por una fotografía de un estudiante que asistía a la durham school of the arts.

El autorretrato se dibujó originalmente como una tarea en la aula del profesor de arte Crystal Brown, y Khosravi-Far no tenía intención de

Founded in 1991 Vol. XXIV Issue IV February 2020 http://thepirateshook.com

2 Artist Spotlight

3

Raven James

Benjamin Brimer

Senior Benjamin Brimer is well on his way to realizing his childhood dream.

“When I was really little, I wanted to be a rockstar someday,” he said, “so I picked up the guitar and I just really liked the music, so I kept going.”

Along with guitar, Brimer plays the piano, drums, mallets, and saxophone.

Not only is Brimer in band at Riverside, but he’s also in the Riverside Jazz Quartet, an All-District band at Panther Creek, and is going to be playing at the Sharp Nine Gallery - a jazz club run by co-founder and director Dave Finucane.

Steven Mann, Riverside’s band teacher, has taught Brimer since his freshman year.

“He’s been a phenomenal musician since I met him,” Mann said, “but I feel like he’s made the most growth in being more assertive. He stands out because of his talent as a musician, obviously, but also he’s very humble.”

For example, Mann has seen Brimer sit at the lunch table with isolated students.

Benjamin Brimer, “He’s also got an eye out for the little guy,” Mann said, “which I think makes him special.” senior Art is a huge part of Brimer’s life. He also enjoys painting and drawing.

“It’s an outlet for creativity… and I like that a lot,” he said.

Brimer isn’t looking for a career in music but he never wants to stop playing.

“I definitely want to keep playing gigs for the rest of my life and playing in front of audiences.”

“When I was really little, I wanted to be a rockstar.”

By Ella Whithaus and Georgia Fishback

Suan Murillo Lopez

Whether she’s in the spotlight or operating it, Raven James leaves her mark on many of Riverside’s theater productions.

James started participating in theater in seventh grade when she filled in for another student in her school’s production of Peter Pan just a week before the first performance.

“I learned all my lines and like a whole song in six days and I’ve been doing it since,” James said.

She has since appeared in two Riverside theater productions, stage managed two others, participated in three advanced theater showcases, and was assistant director of the latest play.

“I started off doing the acting portion of it, but now I’ve grown more accustomed to the tech side,” James said. “I like being able to design it, almost, with the lights and the sound.”

Riverside theater teacher Monique Taylor describes James as fiery, intense, passionate, talented, and intelligent.

“She works so well with the backstage crew too,” Taylor said. “I had someone watching.”

Fellow theater student Grace Murphy says that James has a talent for conveying her teachers’ vision for performances to the cast.

“She’s kind of like the mediator, or the translator, so to speak,” Murphy said.

James says theater has made her less socially anxious and hopes to incorporate theater tech in her future career as an electrical engineer.

“Once you can be weird and do things on stage...I feel like you’re a little less scared of being around people in general,” she said.

By Kaitlyn Busch

Don’t bother asking Suan Murillo Lopez what she does. Ask her what she doesn’t do.

Murillo Lopez isn’t just a Riverside art student. She’s an aspiring tattoo artist as well as a poet, soccer player, and collector of house plants and vinyl records.

She says that her favorite part about art is its ability to influence others. Personally, Murillo Lopez has been influenced by Frida Kahlo. “[Kahlo] really motivated me to, I guess, be this Hispanic artist,” she said. “I mean, she suffered so much throughout her life but she was still one of the greatest artists, in my opinion.”

Riverside art teacher Crystal Brown describes Murillo Lopez as studious, mannerable, artistic, and kind.

“She puts forth a lot of effort and she is creative,” Brown said. “And ART BY SUAN MURILLO LOPEZ she draws well.”

Murillo Lopez says that it was Riverside art teacher Shelby Turner Left - Cat eating a fish. Right - A woman commiting sepukku. These who encouraged her to use her expressive nature and find her medium. Japanese-inspired works are created through inking, a proccess which “Most of my portfolio includes inking, but I usually incorporate inspired Suan to pursue tattooing. mixed media,” she said.

Her personal favorite of the pieces she has made is of a tiger skull.

She says the sun and the moon on either side of the skull represent light and darkness.

“It just incorporates life and death in its own way,” Murillo Lopez said. “It’s one of my favorite pieces because I’ve always felt like my spirit animal is a tiger, because I’ve always felt like a trapped tiger in a cage.”

By Kaitlyn Busch

740 9th St. Durham, NC 27705 (919)286-2884

Kevin Piedra Santa

Kevin Piedra Santa has established his role at Riverside as a very talented singer amongst his peers.

Piedra Santa has only been signing for a total of four years.

“Music isn’t really isn’t an escape for me,” he said, “it’s more of a passion.”

He first started performing after watching and listening to a lot of mariachi bands.

Mariachi is a regional Mexican that goes all the way back to the 1700s. His father bought him his first guitar, and he learned to play by watching YouTube videos.

He took his first chorus class as a junior, and it wasn’t long before he was performing at venues like the Durham Performing Arts Center in big events like Evening of Entertainment (EOE).

“It was a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to perform on a big stage in front of people.”

Before every performance, he plays a few tunes on his guitar and sings a few notes.

“When I’m about to perform, I’m nervous for ten seconds. After that I’m running off pure adrenaline.”

Aside from performing at these large gatherings, he also takes time to play at smaller parties. After high school, Piedra Santa plans to continue doing music and elevating his game. It shouldn’t be too hard for him since he’s already • PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN PIEDRA SANTA grabbed the attention of many outsiders who’d all like him to record his music.

Kevin performing for a crowd. He enjoys “I have people offering me studio time, but I’ve declined because I don’t feel playing his guitar and singing for both like I’m ready,” he said. large and small parties.

By Jarek Harris

Liliana Ramirez

As soon as she began providing illustrious work to her photography teacher, Jon Tweitmeyer, senior Liliana Ramirez began to stand out.

“Liliana has a unique way of seeing the world,” he said. “That paired with her creativity, gives her a strong artistic aesthetic.”

In one of her most original photos, Liliana captures a shot of a classmate with a horse mask on, holding a possum carcass suspended by a stick. The dark values and distorted background give the photo a mysterious tone.

Her photos have been entered in Mr. Twietmeyer’s Annual photography show held at West Point on the Eno between April 4 through May 31.

The advanced photography classes at Riverside give students a lot of independence.

Tweitmeyer provides due dates, sets high expectations and supports students as they develop their own unique ideas and put them into photographs.

“I do my own assignments,” Ramirez said. “I have ideas and I like to achieve those concepts by going out and finding objects or people that achieve the idea.”

Ramirez shows tremendous dedication by devoting large amounts • PHOTOS BY LILIANA RAMIREZ of her time to taking photos and working in and out of the dark room.

Jon Tweitmeyer, (Left) Senior Liliana Ramirez's As she plans her future, Ramirez can’t imagine her life without friend wearing a chicken mask, photography teacher photography. reflected in a pool of water.

“Photography is me,” she said.

(Right) Flowers in a meadow.

Ramirez's photos, shot on film,

By Drew Marley and Ben Neal reflect a dark and abstract aesthetic.

“Liliana has a unique way of seeing the world.”

Pirates' Hook

4

Art, ink and education

Shelby Turner brings many talents to room 210 calling when he started to help others.

“My proudest work isn’t even my work at all," he said. "I was working, There’s a lot more to Shelby Turner before I became a teacher, as an art than just teaching art. therapist in a vocational center working He first realized he had some talent with adults with mental health and diswhen he was in middle school. abilities. Working with them we were “I used to ride the bus with high able to do a gallery show and their work schoolers,” he said. They took notice of that I had taught them actually made me drawing all the time. “One particular $1,400 on their first opening night and day a girl asked me to draw her tattoos.” so that was probably my proudest.

Getting involved with tattooing lead Watching a product of me go do great him into art. His first completed art piece things themselves.” was a painting that he did when he was Turner first started working at a senior in high school called "Radio Riverside in 2018. Before moving City." When he was in tenth grade one to Durham, he taught for one year of his pieces went to print at a national at Harnett Central Middle School in art society.

Harnett County.

After high school Turners' impromptu “My favorite thing [about Riverside] tattoo company took off. By 2008, is most of the kids are made up of a difTurner was not only designing his own ferent diversity from so many different tattoos that illustrated personal narrative backgrounds that culturally I get used and life stories, but he was also creating to experiencing different people and tattoos for others. their culture,” he said. “A lot of people “When I was 18 it was just about tatend up feeling like extended family and tooing anybody that would let you tattoo that’s really nice to have.” them really,” he said. “I did so many $20 He would, however, love to provide • PHOTO BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS tattoos and cheap tattoos because in my more opportunities for kids outside of mind that was me paying my dues that Mr. Turner is not just passionate about tattooing others. His school when the school year ends. was me being able to learn the craft.” own tattoos mean a lot as well.

“If we could still have something, In college, his watercolor painting of then maybe we wouldn’t hear about “I knew that I had a passion for art, '' he said, a lion went all the way to Georgia to be entered “but in terms of learning, knowing that I could some of our students with the issues that they into a national HBCU gallery show. draw, it came after time. I knew that my art have out in the community,” he said.

When he isn’t working as a teacher or tattoo looked different than some of my other friends. It definitely got to the point where I was in college artist, Turner enjoys photography, sculpting, digital work, image manipulation, client branding, I felt like I was good.”

He enjoyed his own work, but found his true and playing the guitar.

By Elizabeth Williams

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