National Art Honor Society Artist of the Month

Artist: Ines Keller, class of 2021

Through a highly competitive application, (one in three are accepted)  Ines was chosen to attend the Visual Art program at the Prestigious California Summer School for the Arts 2019, a 4 week course of study held at California Institute for the Arts in Southern California.

CSSSA as it is commonly known, is a rigorous four-week, pre-professional visual and performing arts training program for high school students held each summer. The goal of CSSSA is to provide a supportive environment in which students acquire experience and training that extends beyond the practice and improvement of aesthetics and technique. Artistic disciplines offered by the program include: animation, creative writing,  film and video, music, theater arts and visual arts. Admitted students are designated California Arts Scholars, honored throughout the state’s fifty-eight counties. Upon completion of the program, the students are awarded a Governor's Medallion, the highest distinction in California for artistically talented students. 

National Art Honor Society, Justin Siena Chapter interviewed Ines Keller as Artist of the Month

NAHS: What does Art mean to you?

IK: To me, art is anything that expresses a person’s interests, personality, or emotions. It can be anything from a beautiful sculpture to a masterfully crafted essay.

NAHS: How do you use your artistic talents?

IK: I use my artistic talents in my day to day life as a way to express my rather shy personality. I use it to

show my interests, ideas, and beliefs to the world and use it to challenge my limits as an artist and

grow.

NAHS: How and why do you express yourself through Art?

IK: I use art to express myself because it speaks so loudly without using distinct words. It can tell a story, share an idea or opinion, or convey emotion that I otherwise would have trouble conveying out loud. My art also gives me the confidence to share myself with the world, which I do through creating personal artwork, sewing, making jewelry, or just doodling.

NAHS: What is the role of artists in our community/state/ world? What is their impact,

what do they accomplish being artists? Why do you think it’s important to have artists among us?

IK: Artists acts as universal voice for the world: where there may be a language or culture barrier, art can communicate. Artists accomplish a worldwide connection and in this way majorly impact communication between communities. This emotional connection of the world through art is what makes artists so necessary in our big world.

NAHS: Why do you like art?

IK: I love art simply because it is a part of me and something I have somehow always

known. It is an escape and a way for me to get to know myself better.

NAHS: What are your artistic goals for the future?

IK: My artistic goals are simply to do more art and increase my skills as an artist. I hope to improve my painting skills, and delve deeper into printmaking and sculpture.

NAHS: What artist or artistic institution do you most admire? And Why?

IK: An artistic institution I admire is the California State Summer School for the Arts, or CSSSA. While this isn’t some fancy museum, it has been a life changing experience for me, as I attended this past summer. I admire this institution because it so strongly encourages artistic growth in teenagers all across the nation and helps us develop our interests and pursue them. It taught me about myself, and for that reason, I will always hold it in a special place in my heart.