Student surrealist works will be exhibited at the Norton Museum of Art

Middle and high school students will be featured in a new surrealism exhibit at the Norton Art Museum early next year.

Norton is celebrating 100 years of surrealism with a student art exhibition, “DREAMLAND: The Intriguing World of the Subconscious.” Art teachers in Palm Beach County can submit their students’ work for inclusion in the exhibition, which runs from January 17 to May 17, 2025 at the Chris and Bernard Marden Public Gallery.

Teachers may submit up to five student works for consideration. Norton staff will select fifty pieces for exhibition in the Marden Community Gallery. Any media is accepted, including video.

Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement of the 20s.^th A century that explores dreams and the unconscious. He emphasizes the unconventional and imaginary and often depicts dreamlike settings and impossible juxtapositions.

Norton Schools and Educational Programs Coordinator Valia Manolis stated, “Surrealism’s commitment to the liberation of the mind as well as the liberation of artistic impression makes it an ideal subject for a student exhibition.”

With a theme of surrealism, Manolis hopes “this exhibition (will) allow students to express themselves through an artistic journey and remind them that Norton offers a carefully curated gallery designed to welcome and highlight their creativity, dreams and aspirations…”

Director of Schools and Teacher Programs Meredith Gregory emphasized the importance of participating in the exhibition, calling it “a big step for your art career and your resume.”

The Jupiter Community High School graduate has felt the impact of Norton’s student exhibition opportunities.

“I feel more comfortable and confident in sharing my work,” said Eric Ubarana. He described the experience of participating in Norton’s 2023-2024 student exhibition, “Invisible Nature,” as “surreal” and “gratifying.”

Students selected to participate in the exhibition gain hands-on experience of the exhibition process. Gregory stated, “Students must write artist statements, work with a curator to provide specifications for the installation of their work, and perform in front of the public during the exhibition’s opening reception.”

Just as submitting work is important to students, receiving and displaying student work is also important to Norton. Manolis described this as “an exciting moment for the Norton staff because it recognizes that our programs speak to the minds and hearts of students…”

Norton will judge submitted artworks in four main categories: Artistic Beauty, Technical Mastery, Concept and Impact, Presentation and Theme. The rubric is provided to teachers to help them select their students’ best work.

To help students with their work, Norton provided a list of ideas and techniques that students can use to create surreal art. These included assemblage, decalcomania, bulletism, éclabussure, collage and the exquisite cadaver technique.

Norton Director of Education and Community Engagement Glenn Tomlinson outlined definitions of surrealism, background information on the movement, and prominent surrealist artists and mediums in a PowerPoint presentation.

Manolis advised art students to “stay true to your truth, embrace your past experiences and let them guide your inspiration and shape your identity.”

The Norton has several surrealist works of art on display, including Jean Arp’s Little Dream Sculpture, Man Ray’s Chess Set, Pablo Picasso’s Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe, and Stuart Davis’s New York Mural. Gregory wants students to know that they have a place among these outstanding artists, stating, “Students have value and are just as important as any other artist represented at Norton.”

“DREAMLAND: The Intriguing World of the Subconscious” provides students with the opportunity to express themselves and their creative potential. Ubarana summed up why student self-expression is important by stating, “Art students are the future artists of the world.”

The story was originally published by Caplin News, a publication of FIU’s Lee Caplin School of Journalism and Media Studies, as part of an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.