Metal students farther along the Career Technical Education(CTE) pathway have more freedom in the functionality of what they create. Photo courtesy of senior Owen Blackwell.
San Luis Obispo High School offers a wide range of art-based electives; ceramics, fashion, interior design and more. It can be easy to box these electives, and the people who take them, into stereotypes.
For example, maybe people taking art aren’t very mathematically inclined, or people taking computer science can’t draw to save their lives.
Many people make assumptions on SLOHS’ metal and wood pathways, limiting themselves before even trying it. Metal and wood classes can be just as artistic as any of the “art” based classes and offer more optionality on the dynamics of whatever the student is making.
“Just like making things out of clay in ceramics, here we make things out of wood. It’s just another form of art, you create things and that’s very artistic. You can make anything from a chair to just a piece of art. I’ve made statues and words in wood shop before, and I’ve also made things like bowls,” said senior Sarah Dostalek.
Metal and wood are very versatile classes- but most people view them as simply male-dominated, practical, and more left-brain oriented than any other art electives. This doesn’t have to be the reality. Metal and wood classes, especially the higher level ones, allow room for creative expression.
“It can easily vary from person to person. If you want it to be an art it can be, otherwise it’s more constructional and technical” said senior Brodrick Hill.
Art and functionality can coexist together.
Hand-crafted furniture and silverware can include aesthetically pleasing design, and metal or wood shops can be a place for people of all mindsets to thrive. Don’t feel limited by your elective, push the boundaries! Talk to SLOHS teachers Tim Fay and Jeb Bruington for more information.