Some Solanco High School art students and members of the community can enjoy a genuine gallery experience without leaving the Southern End.

On Nov. 19, teacher Shannon VanGyzen established the Black & Gold Gallery in a hallway adjacent to her art classroom. Students' artwork lines the walls and is also available for purchase. "The opening (coincided) with the fall play, which was great," VanGyzen said. "We sold a bunch of pieces that day."

Of the 23 pieces on display, 10 had already been sold as of Dec. 19. All the works will remain up until Monday, Feb. 2, when they will be replaced by other creations.

People interested in viewing the art and inquiring about purchasing a piece can go to @slcblackandgoldgallery on Instagram or visit http://www.solancosd.org and click on "The Arts" tab.

The gallery is managed by students from the National Art Honor Society.

Junior Honor Hersh sold a watercolor with mountains, a cross, and a Bible verse on it. "I feel like (the gallery) definitely gives the students a chance to get noticed, and it helps their self-confidence in their art and to get out there and see how it is selling your art safely, too," she said.

Senior Ava Breckbill was involved in the gallery's installation process and has sold a mixed-media piece featuring a fish. "It was pretty cool," she said. "I didn't think mine was going to get sold, so I was pretty happy about that."

Senior Kate Zdrojewski's mixed-media work of a road and sunset has also been bought. She is grateful for the chance to display her talents. "I was really excited that the people in the arts department were actually going to be featured, because I feel like a lot of times sports are featured, and I thought it would be really special for the arts to have something that is for us and doesn't share things with sports," she said.

VanGyzen initiated the project by being awarded a venture grant through the Solanco Education Foundation. "The front entrance was renovated, and that hallway actually used to be the art room," she said. "To honor that space, I thought we could turn it into a gallery, and it provided an opportunity for real-world curating and gallery experience."

Students including senior Keira McCauley were instrumental in bringing the idea to fruition. "Keira helped install all of the hanging systems," VanGyzen said. "Kate, Ava, and Honor, amongst a bunch of other artists, have sold artwork, and it operates like a real, professional gallery where 30% goes back into the gallery maintenance and other artistic projects in the community and then 70% goes to the artists themselves."

Keira explained how the students set up the exhibit. "We measured out along the wall where we were going to drill to put all the screws for the hanging fixtures, and then I spent a couple advisories and a little after-school time drilling into the wall and making sure everything was spaced out properly," Keira said. "I've always really loved the arts in the school, but I've never had the chance until my senior year to become a member of the art society. Just experiencing this space throughout my high school career has been really important to me."

Solanco students visit the gallery and have purchased some artwork. "It definitely opens a lot of conversation, because when other kids that you don't even know buy your piece, it strikes up a window where they say, 'Hey, I didn't know you were so good at art,'" said Honor. "And after you go to the high school, you don't talk to your old teachers anymore, but sometimes your teachers are seeing that your art's now on the homepage. They're seeing you grow up."

VanGyzen added, "It's really cool because I think it's also extending our reach past the usual art kids that come down this hallway. One of the hall monitors bought Honor's piece. We've had parents buy pieces of other students. I've met grandparents through this, and I've learned that one of the students who sold a piece, her grandparents are super artistic, so it's created a lot more community and conversations and discussions around art, which is everything we could hope for."

Honor hopes the gallery inspires other students. "I even had one of our sport players saying, 'Hey, I didn't know you were into art. How did you do that?'" she said. "I was able to refer him to an art class and suggested taking these classes. A lot of kids don't even know what all art classes we offer."

It's an honor for students to have their works displayed in Lancaster galleries, but it's also special to be featured closer to home.

"People in our community are the people viewing our art, and they are realizing that Solanco has a lot of artistic potential that we maybe overlooked the past couple of years," Keira said. "I think art strengthens a community more than anything else really can."

VanGyzen concurred. "We are a little bit removed from downtown Lancaster or other cities or urban spaces that have professional galleries like this," the teacher said. "Most students haven't even gone to a gallery or a museum, so it felt like an opportunity to be able to bring that real, authentic experience to Solanco, which I think is really cool."