Arts Student of the Week: Allie Dahlstrom

Allie Dahlstrom's interest in art began by seeing other students' projects on display around the school. She finds that for her, creativity and inspiration only grow when looking at other people's artwork.

"Allie has been working with clay this entire school year and her skill level has progressed extremely quickly," said Niwot High School teacher Michael Rees, who selected Dahlstrom as Arts Student of the Week.

"I have loved all of the art classes I have been able to take at NHS," Dahlstrom said. "I find that the students are given a great deal of creative freedom in pursuing projects, which makes art much more enjoyable. Additionally," she added, "art teachers are always very supportive and willing to offer help and criticism."

"She is always ready to work and lend a helping hand to other classmates," Rees said. "Her attitude is positive, and she takes criticism and compliments with grace and maturity. I am excited to see how Allie synthesizes her creative concepts and her technical prowess to make awesome ceramic objects."

Dahlstrom took a few art classes in elementary school and middle school, but she never could invest in art until high school, where she was given more freedom to create. Now, her favorite artist is Keith Haring. "I am a huge fan of unique yet simplistic designs, which he excels at. I also appreciate how he used art to make real world change."

Dahlstrom's favorite museum is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. She visited the museum last summer, and she was fascinated by it.

Dahlstrom has taken most of her artistic inspiration from her friends. "With ceramics in particular," she explained, "it is harder to get inspired by a piece when you can't see it in person. The beauty of ceramics is being able to both feel and see work."

Dahlstrom thinks her interest in art is best described as a way to take thoughts, feelings, and ideas and translate them into something physical and meaningful. She finds that art can also be a great way to connect with others on a deeper level.

In the beginning of Dahlstrom's ceramics journey, she had complex ideas, but her ability was not developed to the point where she could bring them into fruition. She feels the more she is able to understand how to manipulate clay, the more she can experiment with what she calls "outlandish" forms and designs.

"Because of ceramics being a messy form of art, it often requires that phones are nowhere near projects," she explained. "I find that this enables so many new connections to form, so my most enjoyable memories would have to be getting to know and having great conversations with everyone in my ceramics class."

Overall, Dahlstrom has loved her experience at NHS. She said she always feels supported and encouraged by faculty to engage with a variety of topics. She also appreciates the opportunity to extend her understanding of topics by taking AP classes.

This year, Dahlstrom feels lucky to be the vice-president of the Best Buddies club, a global organization that is devoted to promoting the friendships between students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and students without, focusing on one-to-one friendships between students outside of school. She also spends her time volunteering with the cats at the animal shelter and experimenting with different forms of journaling.

While she is not sure where quite yet, Dahlstrom plans to attend a four-year college, majoring in psychology. "I am not sure where my journey with art will take me," she said. "But I know that I will always have some way of incorporating my passions into my life."