Senior Zach Zalas has always had a gift when it comes to art. Since his freshman year, he has taken at least ten different art courses. He credits his discovery of the style he enjoyed the most to the art department here at Saint Joseph High School.
He says, “when I started working with clay in [Mr. Kuharic’s] class, the beginning of sophomore year, more specifically when I started throwing on the wheel, that’s when I knew I liked ceramics the most.”
His love for ceramics began during his sophomore year, and it lead him to focus on ceramics as a senior in Mrs. Firestone’s AP Art course. When Zach first envisioned his AP Art portfolio he planned to take inspiration from ancient artifacts and add his own modern spin on them. Now, as he is nearing the end of his third quarter as an AP Art student, he has decided to move away from traditional ancient artifacts and make clay pieces that are completely his own.
His advice to younger artists is exactly that. Zach says, “I would say that whatever you do: draw, paint, sculpt, ect., you should make art that is 100% your own. Just take the time to let your own individual creativity flow, sit down with no plan and just create something. I find when I do this, I end up making some of my favorite pieces of art.”
Along with Zach’s accomplishments so far during his senior year, he has been recognized for a number of scholastic art achievements in previous years. To his fellow classmates, he is a seen as a great person to go to for advice on artwork, and also an example of what it means to be intensely passionate about a craft.