A Visit to the Paso Robles School District's Gallery During Art After Dark

Studios on the Park Is Very Active in Art Education in Paso Robles

Studios on the Park invites community members of all ages to enroll in workshops taught by local artists. The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District also maintains its own gallery there where art students and faculty create and display art on weekends. Currently, until the end of October, the PRJUSD Gallery is displaying the work of school staff and alumni. That is what I saw Saturday night.

I have seen some elaborate displays here. One special display I remember was a wall of Alice in Wonderland costumes that had been used in a student production. Another exhibit I really enjoyed was for Presidents Day:  Paso Robles Public School Students Show Off Their Art at Studios on the Park. It featured elementary school drawings of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Others drew what the USA meant to them.

An Amazing Chess Set

My husband loves to play chess. So when I saw this chess set sitting at the back of the studio surrounded by ceramic dishes, I headed straight for it. It had no label or price. It would not surprise me if it were not for sale or had already been sold. I could not find out who created it. It was the first time I'd been in the studio when no one was supervising the gallery. No one else I asked seemed to know.

Here's a closer look at the set and its pieces.

Below you see closer views of the chess pieces from the opposing sides.

Mechanical Birds

Above this table housing the chess set and the ceramics hung some mechanical  birds created by Joshua Gwiazda, a ceramics teacher at Paso Robles High School. I couldn't help but wonder if he also had something to do with making that chess set, especially since he seems to be involved with the Chess Club. If so, his talents are diverse.

Here's a close-up of one of the mechanical birds. Each was unique.

The PRJUSD Gallery Has New Exhibits Every Month

Keep track of the changing exhibits on the PRJUSD Gallery page on the Studios on the Park website. If you visit Studios on the Park, be sure to stop in at the gallery at the back on the left side. You will always see rising talent on display there.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The image below is just right for Pinterest.

Do you play chess? Do you know anyone who would like this chess set? If you were going to create a unique chess set, what would your chess pieces look like?

Do the K-12 students in your town have a place to display their work in a public gallery in the same building with professional artists? What advantages can you see for that?