MIHS teacher, students featured in two art shows

Mercer Island High School art teacher Cyndy Jensen’s artwork is being featured this month at a special gallery show in Seattle.

Mercer Island High School art teacher Cyndy Jensen’s artwork is being featured this month at a special gallery show in Seattle.

The show, held at the Art Institute of Seattle, features local high school arts and media teachers. The show is being called “What those who teach can do.”

“We’re honoring what educators in our community do by hosting their work in our gallery,” said Elden Monday, president of The Art Institute of Seattle. “Teachers work tirelessly to cultivate the skills of our area’s high school students. The show is our way to shine a light on the talents they use every day to inspire.”

Jensen’s pieces, largely metal works, will be on display until the end of the month. On Thursday, April 26, from 5 to 7 p.m., a special reception for the artists will be held. The gallery is located at 2323 Elliot Avenue in Seattle.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to submit one of my recycled metal necklaces to the Seattle Art Institute. I am also excited to see what will be in this show, as they are pieces created by other art instructors like myself,” said Jensen. She added that while teaching is her first love, she also enjoys creating and designing, often giving away finished pieces, or finding shops willing to sell them.

Currently some of her work can be found at Twilight and Wild Roses in West Seattle.

Teachers from 23 high schools in the greater Seattle area are being featured.

Six students in Jensen’s class at the high school are being featured in the Passing the Torch 2012 Washington state high schools’ jewelry and metal art exhibition. The show, which is taking place at Gallery One in Ellensburg, runs until April 28. An award ceremony was held on April 13.

The Mercer Island students featured in the show include: Edwina Choung, Masami Cookson, Wesley Tomlinson, Shelby Passer, Maya Federman and Max Hibbert.

The exhibit is the 10th annual for Washington, sponsored by the Seattle Metals Guild. Gallery One is at Central Washington University in Ellensburg.