Click here for more on the process of creating the Art Gallery
On Wednesday 22, 2026, The South Brunswick High School hosted the 21st annual Joanne Kerekes Student Art Gallery in which students from around the district get the chance to display their best artwork from the past year. This not only included the high school students but also works from the middle school and elementary students. For many SBHS art students, this event holds an important significance as they were able to have the opportunity to convey and display their work in a manner that shows how much hard effort they put into each piece.
Preparations for the art show began the day before, on Tuesday, when selected SBHS students were asked to help set up displays around the gym. Because this took all four blocks, many students in PE classes were relocated to other locations like the Annex Gym and the Auditorium for two days.
By Wednesday morning everything was set for students and teachers to come down to the gym throughout the school day to see the art pieces which included sketches, paintings, pottery and sculpture. However, the main event didn’t start until 6 pm, when everyone was invited to attend the art show! The total of people was the highest it’s ever been.
Preparing for the Art show came with its challenges. Limited time and space made the process extremely hard, making the teachers around the district hold multiple meetings to see which works will go into the art show and how they should coordinate those responsibilities with the other schools.
Many students in the art classes were able to showcase their work and feel valued, and many even felt ecstatic about the whole idea. Yvonne Lezama Velasco (’27), an Art II student at SBHS, pointed out that it was exciting to have her work in the art show and hope that the people coming by “It feels rewarding and healing because people can react to it and feel excited!”
Another Art I student, Mariam Felly (’26), also shared her own experienced by adding “I hope they feel inspired and like more excited towards art because i feel it’s more of a realistic piece so i think it would be more applicable in real life”
In the end, seeing all the artwork being displayed that day made it an important experience. I (Jenni) was able to have the chance to view not only my friends’ pieces but also work from all around the district, including my own personal work. Having my artwork displayed made me feel seen and respected, and I saw how my efforts were worth it in the end.
