Middle and high school students will be featured in a new surrealism exhibit at the Norton Museum of Art early next year.
The Norton celebrates 100 years of surrealism with “DREAMLAND: The Intriguing World of the Subconscious” student art exhibition. Art teachers in Palm Beach County can submit their students’ artworks for inclusion in the exhibit, which will run from Jan. 17 to May 17, 2025, in the Chris and Bernard Marden Community Gallery.
Teachers can submit up to five student artworks for consideration. Fifty pieces will be selected by Norton staff for exhibition in the Marden Community Gallery. All media, including video, are accepted.
Surrealism is an art and literary movement from the 20th Century that explores dreams and the unconscious mind. It emphasizes the unconventional and imaginary and often portrays dream-like settings and impossible juxtapositions.
Norton School and Teacher Programs Coordinator Valia Manolis stated, “Surrealism’s aspiration towards the liberation of the mind as well as the liberation of the artistic impression makes it a perfect theme for a student exhibition.”
With surrealism as the theme, Manolis hopes “this exhibition [will] allow students to express themselves through artistic paths and remind them that the Norton offers a carefully curated gallery devoted to welcome and highlight their creativity, dreams and aspirations…”
Director of School and Teacher Programs Meredith Gregory emphasized the importance of participating in the exhibition, describing it as “a big step for your art career and your resume.”
A Jupiter Community High School senior felt the impact of the Norton’s student exhibition opportunities.
“It made me more comfortable and confident in sharing my artwork,” Eric Ubarana stated. He described the experience of being exhibited in the 2023-2024 Norton student exhibition, “Nature Unseen,” as “surreal” and “gratifying.”
Students selected for the exhibition are given a hands-on experience of the exhibition process. Gregory stated, “Students have to write artist statements, work with the curator to give installation specifications for their artwork and speak to the public during the opening exhibition reception.”
Just as submitting art is important to students, receiving and exhibiting student art is also important to the Norton. Manolis described it as “an exciting moment for the Norton staff, as it translates into acknowledgment that our programs speak to the students’ minds and hearts…”
The Norton will judge submitted artwork based on four main categories: beauty in art, technical skill, concept and impact, and presentation and theme. The rubric is provided to teachers to help them select their students’ best work.
To help guide students with their submissions, the Norton provided a list of ideas and techniques for students to use to create surrealist art. This included assemblage, decalcomania, bulletism, éclaboussure, collage and the exquisite corpse technique.
Norton Chief Officer of Learning and Community Engagement Glenn Tomlinson outlined definitions of surrealism, background information on the movement, and prominent surrealist artists and mediums in a PowerPoint presentation.
Manolis advised student artists to “stay loyal to their truth, embrace their past experiences and allow these to guide their inspiration and form their identity.”
There are several surrealist artworks at the Norton, including “Small Sculpture of a Dream” by Jean Arp, “Chess Set” by Man Ray, “Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe” by Pablo Picasso and “New York Mural” by Stuart Davis. Gregory wants students to know they have a place among these notable artists, stating, “Students have worth and are just as important as any other artist featured at the Norton.”
“DREAMLAND: The Intriguing World of the Subconscious” provides students with the opportunity to express themselves and their creativity. Ubarana summarized why student expression is important, stating, “Student artists are the future artists of the world.”
The story was originally published by Caplin News, a publication of FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media, as part of an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.
