The Big Picture
Katherine Heikes loves art. Now, she is using her talent and volunteering to teach others about it.
High school is a busy time for adolescents. It’s a time to find friends, to find yourself, and to dive into mass amounts of homework in addition to getting a job. You start to drive and the responsibilities keep piling up little by little, week by week.
Although high school is a feat of its own, sophomore Katherine Heikes enjoys being able to mentor others through one of her favorite hobbies: art.
Summer 2018 was the first time Kat has volunteered as a student intern for kids’ classes at The Dahl Arts Center, and it certainly won’t be her last.
“It’s so fun to work with kids,” Kat said with a smile. “It’s rewarding to see them gradually get better throughout the week. It’s great to see them progress!”
“I am extremely proud that Katherine actually loves going to work and forms bonds with the younger kids in our community,” Kat’s mom Kimberly said. “I caught a performance this summer in one of the weeklong acting art projects where she was acting along with the younger students, and I was so happy to see some of the kids ask for her phone number and email to stay in touch. They aren’t just kids she has to monitor, they are young pupils.”
Being surrounded by art isn’t anything new for Kat. Growing up around galleries, her bestemor (which is Norwegian for grandmother) was a professional artist from Norway who would go around to schools and teach young children the joy of art – something that has had an impact on Kat. Her bestemor also has pieces that are a part of the Dahl’s permanent collection – a frequent place Kat visits.
“I’ve always thought that this place was my comfort zone,” Kat said. “My family has come to look at galleries a lot throughout the years.”
Though Kat can use just about any medium, she admires watercolor painting and drawing – but especially drawing. Getting to shape and create people and the detail of their features, like their make up, is challenging, but an outlet that is expressive to Kat.
High school is a transformative time for teenagers like Kat. But volunteering and doing something you love can help you stay a kid a little longer. And in the art community, Kat is doing just that.