ON THE COVER
EYES OF NATURE, By Christina Le My family is from
Southern Vietnam. My father came to the USA in the early 1990s and worked hard to bring my Mother and grandparents, who helped to raise me. We have been a part of a strong Vietnamese Amer - ican community in Mont - gomery County since then. I ampassionate about illustration and cooking. I have been drawing non- stop since I was very young. One of my first memories is drawing on my grandpar- ent’s walls. I applied to and was accepted into the MCPS Visual Art Center (VAC) Program at Albert Einstein
High School as a freshman. Being a part of this creative community has been the most rewarding experience because it’s a place where I’ve felt the most accepted by my peers and teachers. My academic strength is putting forth the effort to finish my work well. I was listed on the AEHS Honor Roll every year. I was accepted at UMD and plan to attend in 2021. During my time at AEHS, I received recognition for my creative tal - ents including; a Silver Key and an Honorable Mention for my junior artwork and senior portfolio in the Scholastics Art & Writing Awards. I was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2020 Maryland’s 8th Congressional District High School Art Show (Sponsored by Con - gressman Jamie Raskin). My piece, “Eyes of Nature,” was featured in the MCPS art magazine and was one of seventeen works chosen, en - larged, printed and installed for the Downtown Silver Spring “Expres - sions of Community” exhibition located in the breezeway between the Wayne Ave. Garage and Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring, MD. EYES OF NATURE | This piece is a response to the Amazon Rain - forest fires that occurred in 2019. I was disappointed that world powers paid little attention to the severity of the fires. So, I paint - ed this piece to show what life is at risk and how humanity is depen- dent to the Amazon to give us oxygen, medicine, and food. Once the Amazon is fully destroyed, eventually humanity will fall with it. The “Expressions of Community” public art installation, cre- ated by the Visual Art Center (VAC) of the Montgomery Coun - ty Public School (MCPS) system, featured the artwork from a combination of current Junior and Seniors of the VAC. The Visual Art Center (VAC) is a nationally recognized portfolio preparation magnet program at Albert Einstein High School in Kens - ington, MD. It offers students a broad perspective of the visual arts and deepens their understanding of the opportunities for art-related careers through exposure to art history, contemporary artists and art- work while encouraging them to investigate and develop their own personal artistic voice or style. VAC graduates have gone on to pursue a wide array of studies in art-related fields, ranging from fine art and digital arts, to arts education, fashion and graphic design, to film, in - dustrial design, theater lighting and set design, and so many more. We became aware of Christina Le thanks to local happen- stance—we all mutually fell in love and admiration. Pathways is proud to support local artists, young artists, and women and BIPOC .
82—PATHWAYS—Summer 21
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