Linus Pauling Art Students Take Over Sugar J’s

A highlight of this year’s Youth Art Month was the Pop-Up Art Show on March 13. After seeing his advanced students pushing themselves to grow, Linus Pauling teacher Trey Hagen decided they were ready to take their work “to the next level” outside the classroom.

The Challenge

Mr. Hagen proposed hosting a pop-up art show to provide a unique opportunity to connect with businesses and families in the Corvallis community. The class reached out to Sugar J’s Ice Cream Workshop to pitch a collaboration with an ice cream-themed show.

Students were given total creative freedom with their medium. The only real rules were that the art had to incorporate ice cream in some way and meet standards for composition and quality.

Art Show

On the night of the show, the shop was filled with a mix of 2D and 3D work. Students displayed everything from watercolors and oil pastels to clay sculptures sitting right on the ice cream counters.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the event was watching the students react to the pieces. Many brought their families and friends to see their work matted, framed, and hung in a real business, and took photos next to their work. Even customers who stopped in for ice cream ended up staying to view the art, giving the artists an audience far beyond the school hallways.