Ordinary Things become Beautiful at the Winter Art Showcase

Photo by Nina Glick for The Santa Clara

At the Santa Clara University Student Art League’s Winter Art Showcase, the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary. 

“It's way easier than it might seem,” said Owen Higley ’25, president of the Santa Clara University Student Art League, about the event’s logistics. “Like, it takes a bit of effort to put everything up, but really we have a lot of help." But while the logistics may be straightforward, it's the artwork itself that is the real star of the show; the artists turned what may seem simple and ordinary into beautiful works of art.

Among the emerging artists is Addy Sharkness ’28, who has already made her mark on campus. As a curator and contributing artist, Sharkness helped arrange the show's art pieces by thematic resonance, while contributing two paintings of her own. Despite what her surname suggests, her works explore different aquatic territory—one featuring a fish inspired by the unlikely combination of Christmas ornaments and her mother's populus plants, created specifically for the showcase. Her second piece, originally conceived for an Advanced Placement test and Senior Capstone, delves into the verdant world of nature and greenhouses.

The Winter Art Showcase gave attendees the ability to vote on their favorite art piece. The showcase’s popular vote yielded an unexpected three-way tie, with awards going to Higley, Aria Tirado ’25, and a third artist who departed before being identified. Higley’s winning piece, “Duck,” exemplifies his signature style: “I think everything I make is cartoony,” he said. The sculpture, originally conceived as a 3D model for class on Cinema 4D, a 3D-modeling software program. His 3D model duck was later realized in steel rods and sheet metal. When an observer pointed out, “You forgot the tail!” Higley took the critique with good humor—fitting for a piece that draws smiles from viewers.

Tirado found inspiration in the unlikely form of a Goodwill lamp stand. Its antique glass shade, reminiscent of a flower, prompted what she calls “welding practice,” resulting in a steel frame adorned with a repurposed pink skirt. Her artistic philosophy is clear: to “make art out of things that would otherwise be like, put in the trash, or just used for regular purposes.” Now that her old transformed lamp is on display, she bought an $125 upgrade to take its place in her home. 

Overseeing this creative ecosystem is professor Ryan Carrington, faculty advisor of the Student Art League, whose dedication to nurturing student artistry manifests in everything from event hosting to beverage service. The horse trophies awarded to the winners—which proved somewhat fragile when one split in half—came from what Carrington mysteriously describes as a “30 year secret relationship” in Italy, adding an intriguing footnote to an evening celebrating the extraordinary potential in ordinary things.