“A picture is worth a thousand words.” With that quote in mind, artists from Interact Club’s Area 11 painted, drew, and created masterpieces that reflected the theme “celebrate diversity.” The artwork was then showcased at Interact’s first ever art gala, “A11 Around the World,” on January 17 at St. Lawrence Academy’s gym, where students, friends, and family of these artists could enjoy the exhibited art. All proceeds from the gala went towards Interact’s community project, “Under One Roof,” which combats homelessness, and their international project, “Hello My Name Is,” which fights human trafficking.

Some artists, like myself, went astray from the theme. I painted a shark in a suit, and although most may think he is an animalistic representation of Donald Trump, the painting derived from a late-night sketch amidst my exhaustion. Other artists, such as senior Eo Hanabusa, a senior, stuck to the theme. Eo’s painting, entitled “Tears,” reflects both the international project and the theme of the gala in one picture. The painting uses bold colors to depict a crying woman with Earth-like skin. The woman illustrates the sad fact that human trafficking is international. “For this piece I wanted to attract attention to the beauty and desirability of the young woman,” said Hanabusa. “The scary part of human trafficking is that there are human beings who are my age or even younger [suffering from its effects].”

I had the privilege to play live music with Raven Smith and Chloe Schweizer at the beginning of the gala. For almost an hour, we provided acoustic entertainment for the officers who were still setting up the gala and for people arriving. After everyone arrived, a mini-show took place. Students from Santa Clara, Prospect, and Westmont danced, sang, and recited monologues. Soon after, attendees were free to roam the room and admire the various creations. They could also buy raffle tickets for a chance to win artwork or a gift basket of their choice. Interact officers buzzed around the room with trays of cookies, brownies, and sodas for visitors to enjoy while observing the art, socializing with friends from other schools, and taking pictures in front of a grand poster painted by the Interact officers the night before. “I loved walking around, admiring all the art,” said Antonio Chairez, a senior. “Everyone’s art look so great; you can tell they put so much thought and effort into crafting everything.”

However, the gala would not been as successful as it was without months of preparation. Since hosting an art gala was an unprecedented act, it was up to the Interact officers to pave a new path for this event. Ariana Vergonio, Wilcox’s Interact Club president, explained the process of planning the art gala. “Santa Clara High School does some type of art gala for their school, and Vyvy Nguyen, who is our area director, goes to Santa Clara,” Vergonio described. The officers aimed to appeal to different types of people in addition to the artists, which is why they included a talent show in the program. Officers also worked together to talk to art classes, ask artists they personally knew, and spread the word on social media for submissions. The day before the show, the area officers spent the day at Vergonio’s house crafting posters, making name tags, and cooking food. “As separate schools [in our area], I think the officers did a good job at playing with our strengths by dividing and conquering the work.”

A11 Around the World was an amazing opportunity for young artists to feature their art to their peers. As an artist, I find it hard to promote my artwork outside of social media, but this gala allowed me to exhibit it while raising funds for a good cause. Needless to say, the A11 Around the World truly “celebrated diversity” as successfully as the art it showcased. Every artist and performer was unique; each one had their own unique style that they presented at the gala. It is important to remember that we share a home with over seven billion people, and yet not a single one of us is the same. In celebrating diversity, we unite under that idea that each of us is uniquely beautiful in our own way.