A painting tells more than a single story. On Jan. 25, Green Hope’s National Art Honor Society (NAHS) took the stage as they created live paintings illustrating the principles of education at the Wake County Superintendent’s 100-day celebration. The event honored Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor, who succeeded in the position from former Superintendent Mrs. Catty Moore in Oct. 2023.

Prior to the event, NAHS members were tasked with portraying five key themes: Students First, Dedicated, High Quality Staff, Intentional Focus on Equity, Committed Community and Variety of Student Program Opportunities, with each theme being assigned to a group of painters.

For Maria Malgivecha (‘25) and her fellow painters, this was more than just an artistic endeavor; it was an opportunity to showcase the power of imagination within education. In an interview with The GH Falcon, she reflected on the significance of her group’s theme, Intentional Focus on Equity. 

“Every person is given tools tailored to them so that they can be the most successful they can be and reach their fullest potential. Some people may be able to be successful on their own, some may need tools given to them, while others may need support from parents, or school representatives,” she said. 

Alongside Malgivecha, NAHS member Lily Hightower (‘25) collaborated with her fellow members by organizing the canvases and paints, assisted the painters and participated in the design process. 

Hightower elaborated on the collaborative effort. 

“We chose to represent [our theme] by illustrating the different tools teachers give to students to help them succeed,” said Hightower. “The other themes of the paintings were given to NAHS by the superintendent as they were all core principles of quality education that he wanted to continue to strive for.”

However, amidst their enthusiasm and dedication, they faced an unexpected challenge as they were not given enough time to complete their paintings. Despite the initial setback, their Adviser, Mrs. Melissa Poppe ensured that they were granted extra time to finish their paintings.

“I don’t think people always realize how long paintings take and we were supposed to finish them within an hour and a half. To overcome this, we sketched out the paintings and pre-painted them before the ceremony, which I think worked really well!” said Hightower. 

Malgivecha further highlighted the unrealistic time constraints. 

“If you know anything about art, one hour is not nearly enough time for a full, completed painting. For me personally, it may take days or even weeks to finish one single painting, so one hour was unattainable,” Malgivecha added. 

As the evening came to an end, NAHS members reflected on their experience with satisfaction and accomplishment. Despite the challenges they faced, their collaborative effort curated unique art pieces that captured the essence of Superintendent Taylor’s core principles. 

“I felt really honored to participate in the celebration. We were the only visual artists chosen to represent Wake County which felt really special to me since we all put in so much work to promote the arts at Green Hope,” said Hightower.

Malgivecha added, “Part of me was worried that we’d get lost in the stage with the speech, the band, and the dancers all being there too but luckily people in the crowd made us well aware of their appreciation for us. Parents, Students, and Wake County Faculty all came up to us and complimented our works and gave their appreciation.”

NAHS’s participation in Superintendent Taylor’s 100-day celebration exemplified Wake County’s commitment to community engagement and education, leaving a lasting impression on those in attendance.