Obama Cries

Digital Illustration

Grade 12
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

I am portraying Barack Obama crying over what has happened to the dignity of the presidency since he has left office. The connection to the “Water” theme is the single tear highlighted on his face.

Mirage

Digital Painting

Grade 11
Los Altos High School
Tommy Cho

In my piece Mirage, I am bringing to life the battle between what we see and what is happening in today’s oceans. Reflections mirror reality, but in many cases our view is limited to what we experience. We see a beautiful sunset and in the moment, don’t want to realize elsewhere nature is battling with pollution. We need to act now before darkness spreads and the oceans we love are gone.

Snail City

Digital Illustration

Grade 12
Freestyle Academy
Leslie Parkinson

Snail City is a fantastical world where humans are the size of insects. The city controls the snail with wires connected to the eyes. In order to protect the city, the snail travels through a low level of water. I hope the symbiotic relationship between the snail and the city highlights how we need to work with our environment to conserve water. I digitally illustrated and photo-bashed this piece in Adobe Photoshop.

Consolation

Digital Painting

Grade 12
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

A girl leans against an overflowing sink. Although in an overtly public place, she resides in solitude amongst a pool of water. Through my use of muted blue tones, I convey her isolated and cathartic state. The water nearly overflows from the sink, just as her pent-up emotions burst and surround her. She struggles to express her emotions, but the water seeps through the crevices.

The Deep

Digital Illustration

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

In my work I wanted to explore the fear found in everyday objects and concepts, namely water though my use of depth, color, and value to convey the vast unfathomable expanse of the ocean. Water is known as an essential to life yet some view it’s powerful nature as something to be feared, something that could swallow you whole in one fell swoop of a wave.

Aquatic Harmony

Colored Pencil

Grade 11
Leigh High School
Kimberly Bartel

I made this piece to show the harmony between the movement of the human form and the flow of water. The monochromatic color scheme portrays the man and water as one. The jagged, tangled water spouts smooth into gentile laminar flows after being guided through the man. As the man achieves true inner peace, being able to harness the basis of all life, water, he becomes one with it. One with life. One with nature.

Dead Gardens

Color Pencil

Grade 11
Lynbrook High School
Sid Veloria

Societies are getting hurt mentally, physically, and emotionally in light of recent fires, like the dead birds. Water, a universal element, rebuilds these fragile systems. The birdbath gives life to these dead birds, but is too small to help them all. The contrast between the blue, water, and red, fire, alludes to the preciousness of the abundant water. This piece serves as a reminder disregarding our limited resources can destroy life as a whole.

Growth

Charcoal

Grade 9
Los Altos High School
Christine An

Water represents progression from hardships. Even the darkest or most troubled waters can help something beautiful grow.

study: waterfall

Soot and Graphite

Grade 11
Harker Upper School
Pilar Aguero-Esparza

In study: waterfall, I used fumage, a technique using soot from a flame to apply material to paper, to create a graphic waterfall scene. I found irony in using fire to create water, but I also found a covert connection between the elements; both water and fire cleanse the earth and are essential to life on our planet, yet they are both destructive forces which threaten the well-being of our environment.

Defining Qualities

Colored pencils

Grade 11
Pioneer High School
Laurie Kirk

Being the younger, middle child of four, and the first of two girls, life constantly challenges me and I’ve had to remember to choose to have the hardships brighten rather than dim me. Life is like the lanterns’ glow, with the challenge of rain pounding down on them, they either brighten and overcome the darkness, or sink, unable to float, dimming as they fall, the reaction depends on how they decide to face their challenges.

Freedom

Pastel

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

The piece’s central message is the freedom to just “be”. Being underwater has always made me feel safe - in those moments
of submergence the mind and the body are liberated, the brutal solidity of the world above becoming blurred ripples of color and shadow.
In a world of silence, touch becomes the only method of communication and self-expression is uninhibited. Under water, we are nothing and everything, equal in our amorphism.

The Last Drop

Color Pencil and Watercolor

Grade 10
Archbishop Mitty
Angela Xie

Earth without the one- percent of drinkable water we have now is a dead planet.

After “KRZYSZTOF KAMINSKI: The Birth of Aphrodite, 1964” 2019

Graphite

Grade 12
Ann Sobrato High School
Abiam Alvarez Marquez

This snapshot, The Birth of Aphrodite, that I used as my reference picture for the artwork I created, shows a girl emerging from the water. It demonstrates the beauty of birth with the incorporation of water due to its usual representation of life and purity.

The Paua

Pencil and Color Pencil

Grade 11
Los Altos High School
Christine An

In New Zealand we call it paua, and I was always excited to find one to add to my grandmother’s collection. We are now separated by the ocean, but before we were connected by it, finding paua together and creating a beautiful collection that came from the water. It’s what inspired me from a young age to explore and discover.

Beyond the Glass Walls

Pastel

Grade 11
Fremont High School
Catherine Zweig

Water is precious, but its value is underestimated due to its abundance. With this piece, I wanted to raise the question: What happens when we run out? We are like fish in a fishbowl, seeing what lies beyond the glass walls but not really caring as long as we are comfortable inside. In this piece I contrasted colors, subjects, and textures to bring attention to our circumstances.

Death, Rebirth, Life

Ink

Grade 10
Mountain View High School
Meghan Engle

You are born. You live. You die. Some don’t get that luxury. For these sea creatures, death comes first when their habitats are destroyed by humans. They adapt and evolve, and only by taking things into their own hands can they truly live for the first time.

Gardener

Color Pencil

Grade 11
Los Altos High School
Christine An

Even in a place of emptiness, I have found that it is important to nurture the things I care about. It is easy to get lost in the idea that it doesn’t matter, but giving life to even the smallest things can lead to a better mental space. Sometimes it can be as simple as watering my plants.

Growing Out of Control
Ink

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

Water. When I think of water, I think of growth and the way that flowers grow and thrive in the presence of it. However, it’s only good in certain doses. I drew a sprinkler hidden in a cluttered and suffocating amount of flowers. The flowers are growing wild and out of control as the water is showered over them representing how things are only good in moderation.

Rolling Storm

Watercolor Paper, Pastel, Charcoal

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

The process was spontaneous and inspired by the prompt water. I covered the paper with different watercolor paints and set it under a running fountain to let go of control and watch the water do what it willed. I repeated this until the water wore away most of the paints except the ones that clung on strongest. Then, I went over with charcoal and pastel to form clouds and an ocean.

Deep Sea

Ink, Chalk Pastel, Gouache

Grade 12
Saint Francis High School
Brendon Reutebuch

The ocean is full of mystery. While some areas are familiar, the never-ending body of water is vast and the things we will find within it in the future could be unlike anything we’ve seen before. In this piece I wanted to depict the unknown. The curiosity of humans will eventually lead to every corner and crevice of our great ocean abyss being explored. As for now, we can only dream of what we’ll find.

Confection Carrier

Kit Kats, String, Screws, Tracing Paper, Wood, Acrylic Paint, Acetate Paper

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

From England to America to Japan
From the perspective of Japan, where unique Kit Kat flavors are invented
From foreign countries, the chocolate Kit Kats
From Japan the matcha flavor
For this piece uses Kit Kats to reflect the complexity and beauty of international trade, which began through water

+/- 2014.4.16

Watercolor, Ink, Yellow Washi Tape, Yellow Embriodery Thread, Markers

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

In my piece, I capture the idea that although water is perceived as the center of life (top), it also brings death and despair (bottom). I connected this theme with my identity as a Korean American by rendering the Sewol Ferry Tragedy (April 16, 2014). In this incident, a ferry traveled for a field trip but sank due to ineffective situational handling from the government ultimately causing 300 deaths, 250 of which were children.

What Have We Done?

Vine Charcoal, Charcoal Pencil, Acrylic Wash, Newspaper Collage

Grade 12
Lynbrook High School
Kyung Ahn

Due to the overuse of plastic instead of creating better means of reusing it, excessive waste has swept into the oceans, cluttering and harming the environment. Water pollution is alarmingly becoming an urgent issue due to humanity’s rashness and ignorance about handling waste.

A Flooded Adolescence

Water Color, Ink Pen,

Grade 10
Los Altos High School
Christine An

Afraid to leave the familiar, Wandering alone in deserted cityscapes just after rain, That is what I believe adolescence feels like. Like water, in all its loneliness. Eerily silent, But beautifully serene, As you come to the realization that even surrounded in quiet, You are not truly alone. The sun will shine through one day, though obscured by clouds, Reminding me there are people who wish for my happiness, Just as I wish for theirs.

What We Call Home

Acrylic, Various Types of Wrappers and Trash

Grade 12
Saratoga High School

When we throw away our trash to clean our own homes, most do not consider the adverse effects on the animals that live among us. One of the most extreme and prevalent cases of this ignorance is in the ocean where a majority of our garbage ends up. The ocean, which contains 97% of the world’s water, provides a multitude of uses to humans including providing food and resources for our advancement, but we choose to mistreat the large body of water anyways. Our houses remain clean while the fish and other creatures that call the sea home have to deal with our muck.

Gen Z

Oil on Canvas

Grade 11
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

The entirety of Generation Z is at risk. The sight of their futures is quickly becoming more obscured as the issue of climate change is becoming more global. As a member of Generation Z, I depicted this issue through various piles of plastic water bottles, which lay at my feet. This overwhelming inheritance has been handed off to my generation, and we are being forced to solve this matter, for our future depends on it.

Post-age

Oil on Canvas

Grade 12
Saint Francis High School
Brendon Reutebuch

Postal stamps are created for various purposes, oftentimes to showcase worldly wonders or to celebrate icons. In this case, the worldly wonder in question is the massive amount of water scarcity and pollution. Industrialization has bypassed effective methods of allocation in search of profit; this piece is meant to highlight such injustices. Blame cannot be shifted solely to the consumer when companies and governments are not held responsible for their destructive actions.

Mutual Embodiment

Watercolor, Pencil, Colored Pencil

Grade 10
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

Water weaves together a mutual foundation amongst humans and trillions of other organisms as it constantly fuels our existence, ultimately representing that we are all the children of nature. The flow of water that dips into a palm brimming with endearment and then streaming into a soft ripple that disperses, demonstrates the eternal cycle that water undergoes and it’s everlasting life.

Thirsty

Watercolor, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Graphite, Oil Pastel, Soap, Gel Pen

Grade 11
Evergreen Valley High School
Fei Shen

Water is something that many take for granted, but also something that others must fight and search for. In my piece, a leaky faucet drips
into a puddle on the ground. Eight different cats are at the back of a worn-down building surrounding the puddle to quench their thirst. This piece shows that, although water may be everywhere, many must go searching for it as the survival of all living things.

Dream of Water

Watercolor on Paper

Grade 10
Piedmont Hills High School
Van Nguyen

Water sustains life, but is vital for a variety of other things as well. The painting depicts a girl creating a dove, a symbol of peace and hope, out of water, representing the flexibility of water. The distant flames in the background are a reminder of the devastating fires which have occurred. In a time where many are left feeling hopeless, water’s flexibility represents a dream of peace and hope for the future.

Life and Death

Watercolor on Paper

Grade 12
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

My piece represents the contrast between life and death and how they can coexist together in harmony. The ocean is a symbol of life, teeming with thousands of species, including the octopus. The octopus is elegant and fluid, yet can be aggressive and dangerous as well, just as the ocean can be. The octopus intertwined through the skull shows the transition between life and death.

The Lonely Sea

Oil on Canvas

Grade 12
Palo Alto High School
Kate McKenzie

I create art to encapsulate feelings. Whether the piece is figurative or more abstract, I want viewers to step into my art and engage with the nuances and emotions I’ve worked to represent. “The Lonely Sea” aims to capture a moment of self-reflection and isolation. I used oil paint with medium to create smooth flat textures (skin, ocean, etc). Used mostly blending and some scumbling.

Life

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 10
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

In this piece I used acrylic, specifically a lot of dry brush to portray the lightness and the myriad of colors in the bubble. The piece demonstrates the importance of water in regards to life. Life is fragile, figuratively surrounded by a bubble. What holds the bubble together is water. Without it we and every life form on this planet can not exist. It is so essential and connects us all and shows delicateness of life.

Blindness By Choice

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 11
Harker Upper School
Pilar Aguero-Esparza

This piece began as a personal experiment with surrealism and humor, and how they could interact. Through the portrayal of a man oblivious to the destruction around him, I want to call to attention the pollution of our oceans and the man-made destruction of our local environments, and how much easier it is to turn a blind eye than to make a difference or hold powerful and influential people at fault.

The Voyage

Oil on Canvas

Grade 11
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

Every living creature stems from an egg, which provides all the necessary ingredients, especially water, for life. With a toy boat floating in its yolk, this broken egg symbolizes one of life’s inevitable processes: growing up. As an egg represents youth and the circle of life, the painting depicts the difficult voyage of breaking out of one’s childhood shell into a new stage in life.

Desolate

Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

What if we were the ones dying from pollution? What if our heads were trapped in six pack plastic rings and our noses with straws shoved so far up we can’t even breathe? Through my use of color and texture, I demonstrated a theme that our government neglects their responsibilities to sustain our environment and work towards ending global warming. When we pollute our waters, we are destroying our environment and our chances of a better future.

Never Finding Nemo

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

The balance in nature shifted recently. In our dark dull sea, the entire reef is replaced by human-produced trash. With the plastic bag around Nemo, he will never be found, just like the lost of profanity by the early exposure to environmental concerns. While marine animals are trapped in plastic waste, humans are trapped in the imaginary bubble of illusions. How will our future be like with the irresponsible actions of ignorant humans?

Beyond the Sea

Oil on Canvas

Grade 12
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

Beyond the Sea depicts a woman who is closing her eyes, unwilling to help the suffering koi fish surrounding her. This embodies how so many refuse to acknowledge the degree of severity in which our aquatic habitats are deteriorating. Fossil fuels increase the acidity of our oceans and pollutants fill the stomachs of innocent marine life, yet many still haven’t attempted to aid our drowning oceans.

The Power to Cleanse

Watercolor on Paper

Grade 10
Milpitas High School
Emily Moore

Every morning as I first drink a cup of water, I feel a big cleanse through my body, soul, and mind. And just like my body, I feel that with our help, water can help clean our Earth and create new beginnings and opportunities for life not only for us but also for creatures around us. The window in my painting symbolizes a fresh vibrant start in which water can gift.

A Sharing Concept

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

With this theme, I wanted to show how I use water in relation to the blend of Chinese-American culture in my life, combined with the concept of sharing: traditional Chinese tea is steeped for all. My initial composition displayed a traditional teapot doing its “job”, but to show that it is something that allows Chinese culture to be enjoyed by all - beyond simply being an instrument to make tea - I added Western-styled teacups, waiting for their share.

Pure Trash

Watercolor on Paper

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

This painting, Pure Trash, illustrates natural waterfalls and its connection to trash. How pure and natural water, necessary to life, is connected to creating pollution through our single use plastic bottles. Our eyes follow the waterfall as it flows behind the plastic bottles and into the trash pile which illustrates how pure water through humans indirectly creates trash and destroys nature. Due to human’s selfishness for convenience, they are polluting our nature.

Whirlpool

Oil on Canvas

Grade 12
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

My piece explores the concept of reaching maturity and the numerous challenges that come with it. It is easy to become overwhelmed by such things, creating a perception of being hopelessly lost, at mercy to the world. The keys portray the prospects of getting a driver’s license and finding a place to live on your own. The license depicts the newfound ability to vote and freedom.

Hypocrisy

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 11
Leland High School
Stacy Rapoport

I wanted to focus on how humans tend to contain and cage animals for entertainment but simultaneously put importance on their own freedom which shows the hypocrisy and selfishness of humans. To show this, I created art that is opposite of reality; the woman is contained while the animal (fish) is free-moving. I froze the woman in a plastic-like material in the ocean to contrast her frozenness with the freedom of the fish.

Alien

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 12
Santa Teresa High School

Only 5% of the ocean floor has been explored. It is safe to say we know very little about the vast ocean. It has been said that we know more about outer space than we do our own oceans. As humans travel further into the deep blue sea, we will stumble upon exotic sea creatures and life forms. With this painting, my intention was to portray the extraterrestrial nature of alien-like lifeforms here on Earth.

The Absurdity of Money
Oil on Canvas

Grade 12
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

My piece, The Absurdity of Money, depicts a fish and a duck, vying for a stack of bills. The motivations behind the bundle of money in the painting was to give the duck and the fish something to focus their gaze and to show that the power of money is capable of distracting and changing nature itself.

Summer Recollection

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 10
Pioneer HIgh School
Laurie Kirk

When I was younger, my grandpa and I would fold paper boats every weekend, and drop them into the river near our house. This was back in Vietnam, we would watch them slowly drift away, carried by the gentle stream that reflected the hues of summer and the calming winds of July. It was captivating, mesmerizing even. The boats were crafted out of a distinct type of paper, as it was waterproof!

Great Sentiments

Other (Acrylic on map) 30x40

Grade 11
Los Altos High School
Christine An

When we come across someone drowning in their emotions, getting them to open up is a journey and like trying to read a complex map. We travel across the deep sea of emotions and we meet great sentiments in order to find them.

Do You Even Care

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 12
Castilleja School
Deborah Trilling

Flint, Michigan still lacks daily access to clean water resources (this story was covered in 2014), and I hate that the media shifted its focus so quickly. People are in dire need of resources, and the sheer lack of response demonstrates the government’s frail infrastructure across the nation. The painting is meant to jab at both the media and the government for failing to address this issue seriously even five years after the fact.

Pathways

Acrylic of Wood Panel

Grade 12
Saint Francis High School
Brendon Reutebuch

Water in my family’s life has served as pathways. It is a symbol of change. My parents both came from Vietnam and travelled by boat to start life in America. Water was the bridge between old and new life. The painting itself depicts my family surrounded by aspects from their past and present. It includes my dad’s old village and the boat they travelled in, as well as lotus flowers to symbolize Vietnam.

Water Reversation

Acrylic on Canvas

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

If water is regarded as essential to life, then why do humans take it for granted? Water may encompass most of our planet, but it is still physically finite. Through the reversal of land and seemingly endless oceans, I want to promote conversation about conservation. I want my audience to question what would happen if water was physically constricted and land was unlimited.

Switching Roles

Watercolor and Colored Pencil on Paper

Grade 12
Cupertino High School
Alice Cunningham

As people continue to pollute the Earth’s waters, we are also harming the beautiful wildlife that depends on that very water. In my piece, a goldfish is holding a plastic bag with a person inside, reversing the usual roles between animals and people; I wanted to bring attention to the ways we are harming marine life with our destructive habits and hoped to inspire a change in mindset and behavior.

Underwater

Digital Photography

Grade 12
Westmont High School
Rachel Bradley

Water itself provides sustenance for most living things, but it can also cause one to drown, falling into the depths where layers and layers of it’s cold touch reaches out to grab hold of you. Though water is dangerous, water is needed to survive, and can be represented through more than one emotional state like how I’ve demonstrated through this picture. Serenity and peacefulness is what came across while under water. Freedom from noise and from the outside world, swimming, washing and even drinking water can all be refreshing, and a helpful activity towards stress or thirst. How does water accommodate you?

Breaking the Barrier

Digital Photography

Grade 12
Bellarmine College Prep
Wendy Crockett

This image depicts the moment an arrow shot from a bow bursts open three suspended water balloons. The image captures the slim moment in time when the water still holds the shape of the balloon despite it popping. I wanted to capture a very fine moment in time that one cannot usually see, which is what inspired me to pursue capturing this image.

Hidden in Green

Digital Photography

Grade 11
Freestyle Academy
Leslie Parkinson

I took this photo in Thailand of a man sitting in his boat across from me. I was inspired to take a photo of him because there was a sense of mystery created by the musky, green water separating the man and I, almost like a barrier. I edited the photo on Adobe Photoshop to make the man more vibrant and to add more emphasis against the green water and the green plants.

Illusion

Digital Photography

Grade 12
Saratoga High School
Alex Hemmerich

This photograph highlights the reflective property of water. I found it interesting how, in the puddle farther from the camera’s lens, the reflection created an illusion of a corner that did not actually exist. The closer puddle affected light in a curious way; it revealed an image of a much darker day.

Drowning

Digital Photography

Grade 12
Christopher High School
Ryan Schlater

Drowning displays the evil substances of water. Water may purify and keep you alive, but can also drown you as you get weighed down by its heavy force. As humans we have been taught to hold our breath as we submerge our heads into the water, but only one can hold their breath for so long. 5 minutes max, how long can you hold yours?

Soft But Powerful

Digital Photography

Grade 11
Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts & Technology
Leslie Parkinson

Yung Pueblo once said that water teaches a lesson that, “what is soft can also be powerful.” This photo was taken in Sintra, Portugal, where we discovered a cave leading to a small waterfall that my father called “pathetic,” however, it’s gentle trickling reminded me of myself. I, too, am underestimated because I am soft and shy, but I can also be powerful like this waterfall. It all depends on the storm that day.

A Well Traveled Challenge
Digital Photography

Grade 11
Freestyle Academy of communication, art, & technology
Leslie Parkinson

This is an ice hill that I climbed. This photo represents the struggle required to get to college. You start the climb in 9th grade, everyone travels this path, but many don’t make it. I am currently a junior and I feel like I am almost to college, but I still have to lift myself up over the ledge, and I hope I don’t fall off of the intentionally slippery and treacherous slope.

The Call Above the Abyss

Lino Print

Grade 10
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

Everyone experiences the sense of drowning at some point, but above the water, there will always be someone reaching out for us. My print is inspired by the Biblical story of Jesus walking on water and holding onto Peter’s hand to save him. I thought it would be interesting to make the print from the point of view of the one sinking, who sees a reaching hand from above.

How Are You?

Lino Print

Grade 10
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

In this piece, a dog and a koi greet each other with curiosity. The fish, unable to escape its surroundings, and the dog, unable to help, are subject to the worrying increase of pollution. I want this work to bring concern to the environment, especially the worsening condition of our waters, and usher awareness to those who need our help. My hope is that with enough exposure, we can act towards a cleaner world.

Foggy Night

Lino Print

Grade 10
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

The darkish browns I used in my print is what we see today in lakes, rivers, or creeks. I used them to depict the pollution that there is in the waters we live near. My dad would talk about how when he was a child, he would meet his friends at the creek and they would play in the water and have fun until dark. Now, we can’t even touch some of these waters because of how polluted they are.

Origin

Lino print

Grade 9
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

The trash that finds itself in our oceans and lakes all comes from somewhere. In the city, there are drains filled with more spilled rubbish than water. At a glance, some litter on the side of the road may not seem a subject worthy of immediate concern. Only when the filth is carried away, contaminating our waters, do we realize the direct impact it has on our world, and in turn, our lives.

Waters Edge

Lino print

Grade 10
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

My print is of a young wolf, cautiously approaching water to drink. I wanted to celebrate the life-giving properties of water. All plants and animals, including humans, depend on water for our existence. Water is one of the most important life-giving forces on our blue planet. The young wolf approaches, seeking hydration, watching out for threats from other animals who may also be drinking nearby.

Scarce and Bountiful

Lino Print

Grade 9
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

In developed countries, water is a vital necessity that is wasted by the gallon. However, in third world countries where water is scarce, women and children have to walk miles to a water source. In my piece, I wanted to bring awareness to these daily struggles and the excessive amount of water wasted in different parts of the world.

Vile

Lino Print

Grade 10
Valley Christian High School
Jill Carlson

The story of the water crisis in Flint Michigan is one of environmental injustice and poor decision making. It never should’ve happened. Flint’s residents, most of which are African Americans, were overlooked and discounted by government officials. The lead poisoning and the lack of government response afterwards was a result of systematic racism. Under the surface, Flint is fighting a crisis of injustice. The water is simply the part that’s visible.

Lotus

Clay, Resin, Felt

Grade 11
Los Altos High School
Christine An

Water gives an outlet to many - swimmers, kayakers, surfboarders - but ultimately, anyone can find peace in water. In the stress of everyday life, it’s good to take time to relax and renew ourselves by looking at our worries with a fresh mind. We can find a sense of tranquility by staring out at the ocean, or like the girl in the sculpture, simple joy from a small body of water.

Internal Infections

3D print, Polymer Clay, Acrylic Paint, Trash

Grade 10
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

The majority of Sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to clean, filtered water which is a leading cause of deaths. As trash and viruses continue to poison our world, people continue to suffer from insufficient filtration. Women use canteens to supply their families with toxic water leaving them dehydrated and ill. The polluted water from the canteen in my project flows into a stomach infecting and killing it from the inside out.

Soaked

Other

Grade 12
Harker Upper School
Pilar Aguero-Esparza

My sculpture explores the idea of uselessness, missing that which makes one whole. An umbrella made of mesh is itself a contradictory object. The holes render the umbrella useless and sabotages its functionality by letting water through. I was inspired by the Earth’s present condition. The wholeness of the Earth is being disrupted by way of pollution, deforestation, hunting, etc. We must carefully consider our actions before our planet is no longer able to function.

Dog underwater

Clay, 3D Print

Grade 10
Los Gatos High School
Augustina Matsui

I chose to portray a normal dog with a old fashioned diver’s helmet. This project depicts the theme of “Water” in the abstract manner of bringing attention to climate change, the issue of climate change is often over looked and thought to be a hoax, by depicting a natural human friend (a dog) I attempted to shift the focus from climate change affecting the world to climate change affecting a normal amenity of the human life.

Water That Never Came

Other

Grade 12
Prospect High School
Mark Fisher

As an artist, I tried hard to create a sculpture that spoke to me and others about the water shortage. I gathered the dead pieces of wood to show the water shortage and made them into the legs of the table. At the top of the table, I poured the clear blue resin to illustrate how water is an essential resource for all lives. Now, the dead trees have new life as a table.

Dance

Sculpture (Ceramics)

Grade 12
Valley Christian High School
Karen Dequine

Water is the foundation of life and plays an important role in Chinese culture. As a Chinese international student, I decided to incorporate both water and the Chinese culture into my sculpture. Water is represented by a dancing woman, or rather the goddess of water, wearing a dress made of the ocean. She is performing the “water-sleeve dance” (Shui Xiu Wu), a traditional Chinese dance mimicking the movement of water with extended silk sleeves.