For many students, fall is a bustling time full of sports, school, and pumpkin spice. However, for some, fall is a time to come up with original and creative ways to express the spirit of autumn through art.
Ignite is Prep’s central for all things art. The club publishes a cumulative magazine in the Spring, showcasing the all the numerous arts at Prep. During the school year, Ignite holds two art competitions, one taking place in fall and the other in winter. The theme for this year’s Fall Arts Contest is, you guessed it, fall! The three winners of the contest can expect a mystery gift card.
Ignite’s mission is to inspire students to think creatively. When people think of artistic creativity, they often think of things like abstract art or a classic Van Gogh painting. However, as Ignite submitter Mica Mamplata explained, there are many ways to be creative in art. “Ignite accepts a wide range of artistic expressions. You can check out Ignite’s website for a variety of prior submissions. I’ve always had a passion for visual art, photography, and poetry, but they accept all kinds of things.”
In addition to visual art and photography, Ignite accepts the written word and films. And if those options don’t fit your fancy, Ignite also welcomes dance and music. “Really, you can submit anything as long as it’s not AI,” laughed Emma Le, an Ignite student leader. “You just have to be authentic with it.”
Currently, Ignite is a smaller, tight-knit group of students. Ignite faculty leader Ms. Dotsey sees this as an opportunity for students to take leadership roles and become more involved. “Because Ignite is smaller, there are opportunities to become a leader pretty much from the jump. It’s a really great way to just get some leadership experience. But you have to be interested in art too!”
As for the future, Ignite is looking to expand opportunities for students to display their artistic creativity. Ignite is also planning on creating an Instagram to promote the club and student artwork.
“Especially with a web presence, we can get more actors doing their monologues and singers singing their songs,” said Dotsey. “There are so many different types of arts, even outside of what Prep offers, like quilting.”
Ignite will announce the winners of the Fall Contest on Halloween after careful consideration from club moderators. All winners will be featured in the 2025 Spring Edition of Ignite Magazine.
“Don’t be shy to submit!” said Mamplata. “The sky is the limit!”
