ArtNow Testimonials

Student Testimonials

"Thank you so much for your support through the ArtNow Best in Show Scholarship! It was an honor to be chosen as the recipient and it really helped reassure my parents and me that I have what it takes to continue to pursue art in college and in the far future. Growing up in a very STEM-centric culture that dismissed the humanities as a whole, I didn't realize art was a viable career option at all until my senior year of high school. But now, I’m very excited to take the next step with my fine art and illustration, and this scholarship is going to help fund my education at the Rhode Island School of Design as I do so!”

Gina Bae
Palo Alto High School
ArtNow Best in Show 2022

“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Parsons,

I wanted to express my belated thanks for your more than generous contributions to the ArtNow Program at the New Museum. In the year and a half since the exhibition, I have been able to reflect upon how much your support of the arts has truly meant to me. The ArtNow program is what made me believe my passion for painting could lead me to a career in the arts. That confidence helped me complete an academic art portfolio and even apply to art schools for college. In the end I decided to pursue my education at UC Berkeley, studying Economics and Fine Arts. My passion for art is something that I will continue to pursue, and never let go. Without your support, I would have never realized how much the arts mean to me and my future.”

Akshay Thakur
Prospect High School
ArtNow Best in Show 2019

Teacher Testimonials

"I’ve been a teacher for 29 years, and when I arrived at LGHS I was pretty overwhelmed by the amount and depth of art culture here in Los Gatos. This is a vibrant community, and the amount that art is celebrated here is special. It’s a draw for the town. A highlight of my first year teaching here was my experience with NUMU’s youth art program called ArtNow. The amount of esteem my students felt in NUMU’s commitment to celebrating them as artists and their hard work was powerful. NUMU creates an event that truly treats the students like the real artists they are. The amount of detailed and nuanced planning in their approach to teen artists is like nothing I’ve seen. It is a treasure the town of Los Gatos can be proud of and support financially with enthusiasm. The impact on students is very powerful."

Mark Yanowsky
Los Gatos High School
2023

“My students have entered their artworks since the program started 11 years ago. I incorporate the submission for the ArtNow exhibition as a part of my curriculum so that all my art students can participate, regardless of their skill level.

ArtNow offers students the real-life experience of what an artist goes through to get their work exhibited in a museum. The experience fosters self-confidence, critical thinking skills, creative expression, as well as teaching students the intrinsic value of art. ArtNow is one of the rare programs that rewards students for the inherent value of art.

With this year’s theme “Brave New World,” I asked students to consider the social changes we need to make to create the future we want. Students nowadays are overwhelmed and painfully aware of dystopian issues such as environmental crisis and social injustice. So, I proposed a question:  If you can change the world into a place you want to live in, what would it be like? What would your ideal future world look like? How do you want your future to look like?” I wanted my students to work with a sense of hope and to take on the challenge of visually expressing the future world they want. 

By participating in the program, students were able to bring their voices and artworks outside the confine of classrooms.”

Christine An
Los Altos High School
2022

“As a teacher who has participated in the ArtNow Exhibition since its inception, I can attest to years of students who have grown immensely from having made work for the exhibition. Many students through the years have commented to me that preparing for this submission has changed the way they think about their work—not only what it looks like, but how to present it, how to title it and, how to write an artist statement that authentically gives context to the ideas that they hope to convey visually.  As a practicing artist I know the value of putting your work out in the world for others to engage with it. That process takes artmaking from a personal endeavor and transforms it into an opportunity, a goal, a conversation. For young artists to be a part of an exhibition that energizes so many students in studios all over the county is invaluable. It offers real world experience that cannot be taught in the classroom alone. The confidence, perspective and encouragement that students derive from this experience is transformational. Even students who do not get into the exhibit have said to me that they learned so much by going through the application process and from seeing the exhibit. In many cases not getting accepted has driven my students to work harder and think bigger. It is a testament to the power of this program’s reach when young people can grow from the experience whether or not they get accepted. And, it is a testament to the power of ArtNow to see students transformed by exhibiting their work in a museum setting. I have witnessed the momentum that this experience provides…it ripples through my classes year after year.

I cannot say enough about the professionalism, commitment and passion that the NUMU staff continually show in mounting this exhibition. And, I have such gratitude for the community collaborators in making this experience possible for my students and those in classrooms throughout Santa Clara county.”

Matthew Reynolds
Lynbrook High School
2022

Teen Council Testimonials

“I never imagined that art could be such an uplifting medium until I joined ArtNow as an exhibiting artist and Teen Council member. As someone who struggled with communication because of my disability, art provided an avenue of expression. ArtNow exhibitions have brought together a dialogue between young, devoted artists with the community to touch people's hearts and instill potent, meaningful messages. The program's evolution has paralleled the frontier of fostering grassroots cultural and historical movements. From tying the relevant and urgent to the long-term and systemic, ArtNow not only captures the factual, material development of the heart of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County, but it also fulfills the zeitgeist of the innovative, inspirational, and diverse spirit of intergenerational collaboration and an earnest commitment to creative growth. With monumental disruptions to the tradition of museums with emerging technologies, here in the wild wild west, ArtNow has established a fine balance that preserves the language of where we come from but also engages us in the question of where we are going. It has been an honor and privilege to build alongside educators, curators, and fellow artisans an inclusive, daring space that acts as a launchpad shaping the internal, hidden talents into public treasures.”

Rachael
Monta Vista High School
Grade 11

 “Having been an exhibiting artist for the past three years, I stumbled upon an incredible opportunity last year—the chance to join the Teen Council. While the experience of showcasing my work in a museum environment alone is immensely enriching, being able to contribute behind the scenes has added a profound sense of meaning and depth to my journey into the professional art world. Witnessing the meticulous effort and time invested by museum curators in crafting exhibits has afforded me a special admiration for their craft, nurturing my passion for connecting people through art. In a similar respect, the Teen Council has also been a unique lesson in collaboration. Working with others towards a shared goal has taught me the real value of efficient time management and task coordination. For this reason, my time on the Teen Council will forever remain a cornerstone in my personal growth. It has not only provided me with invaluable insights into the workings of a professional museum setting, but also instilled within me the virtues of teamwork, community engagement, and dedication.”

Arlie
Leigh High School
Grade 12

“As a teen council member of NUMU, I have learned so much about the beginning to end process of creating an exhibition theme to setting up an art gallery. Not only have I gained a unique experience in working in a museum with other interns and staff, but I also have a newfound perspective and appreciation for art. Since the first day of this internship, I have had to understand art in a more in depth manner, from finding various examples for a toolkit, to thematically laying out the artwork in a gallery. Above all, I have gained and improved a unique skill set that includes organizing an art gallery, leading a group, public speaking, teamwork, and responsibility.”

Sneha
Leland High School
Grade 9

About ArtNow

ArtNow is an annual juried Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program, presented by New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU). The ArtNow exhibition and supporting programs offer opportunities for high school student artists, from Palo Alto to Gilroy, to gain real-world experience in participating in a juried museum exhibition. Each year, a new theme is chosen for the exhibition and students are asked to submit works based on that theme. $16,000 in scholarships and awards are given to select participating students. Accepted students have the opportunity to win awards in 8 artistic categories as well as an overall Best in Show prize and a People’s Choice award. The categories are Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, Printmaking, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art & Video/Animation. Look for #artnowatnumu on social media.

Questions? Email artnow@numulosgatos.org