Held from April 2nd through April 4th in the I-Lab in the Learning Commons, the SHS International Club hosted the opening ceremony for the second “Connection Art Exhibition,” where students from all grades were invited to share their creative works with the rest of the school, while simultaneously representing their culture.

The exhibition featured around 45 pieces of work, including paintings, sketches, digital art, sculptures, cartoons, and movies. SHS students were invited to submit their artwork to reflect their creativity and talent, and an aspect of their personal culture.

The International Club hosts two main yearly events: the International Lunch and the Connection Art Exhibition. During their weekly meetings, they discuss different cultures’ food, clothing, and customs. They spend much of their time planning and preparing for the large events but also enjoy having fun and playing games!

The International Club starting preparing for this exhibition from January 2025, with around 30 active members working on it at weekly Tuesday meetings. Part of the preparation included designing the main poster for the exhibition, which incorporated the input of all the members. Different characters and symbols representing different countries were hand-drawn by the members and stuck onto the final poster, reflecting the international-mindedness of the club.

The “Connection Art Exhibition” was curated by International Club President, Yutong Deng ’25, along with officers and Faculty Advisor Wenhui Guo. Having returned to on-site learning shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, Deng found that there were newcomers who were trying to find where they belonged within the school. Therefore, she chose to create this exhibition to aid students in their search for community. “I know everybody can do art, so we told people that they can send any form of art relating to their culture. We are a really inclusive and welcoming community,” Deng explained.

The event was very successful as over 50 students and faculty were present for the opening ceremony. A diverse student body was represented based on the artworks displayed.  “[The Connection Art Exhibition] brought together many diverse perspectives from the students in school,” Clara Liu ’27 shared.

For future exhibitions, as the President of the International Club and a senior at SHS this year, Deng expressed her hope for this event to become an annual tradition and continue providing a welcoming community for all students. As advice for the coming officers of the club, Deng says to “focus on the details and protect everybody’s artwork as if they were your babies.”

Considering the sparkling creativity of this rendition, students are eager to see what it has to bring in the coming years!