The Woodlands high School Art Trust (TWHSAT)
In 2011, The Woodlands High School created a new art acquisition program. Every year, students vote on pieces submitted by local artists; the top voted pieces are then bought and displayed permanently on the walls of the school. The collection exposes students to art throughout their day, and is also used to enrich curriculum in subjects like language arts and social studies. Every year as the collection grows, it reflects the evolving tastes and concerns of high school students. Our program was inspired by Greater Latrobe Senior High School in Pennsylvania, which has collected student-selected art for over 70 years.
The Woodlands High School Art Trust (a 501 (c)3 nonprofit) has been established to accept artist submissions, organize student voting, purchase pieces, and display and maintain the entire collection. Every year, the Art Trust asks local Texas artists to submit pieces for consideration, and narrows the options down to 12-15 pieces per year. These pieces are displayed temporarily in the school, along with information on each artist. The students then vote on their favorite pieces, taking ownership in the selection process. The top 2-5 voted pieces are then purchased using proceeds from the Homecoming Dance; the number of purchased selections varies each year, based on the price of the top pieces and the distribution of student votes. After 13 years of repeating this process, we have acquired 66 artworks by 55 Texas artists.
In the past, the Art Trust has hosted a yearly "Palettes & Paintings" silent auction event to raise funds for the display of the pieces. On the night of the unveiling of the student selected pieces, 100 wooden artists palettes were offered for silent auction. The palettes were distributed to students, teachers and professionals to be turned into pieces of art. Purchases of the palettes were tax deductible and the proceeds applied to items such as lighting, UV protection and security of the new collection. At this time, we will not be holding a Palettes & Paintings event.
This display process includes framing the pieces, as well as hanging them and installing gallery lighting so the artwork can be fully appreciated. TWHSAT uses the proceeds from the Palettes & Paintings event, as well as private donations, to cover the display costs. If you are interested in donating, please click the button below or see our Friends of Art page.
Our thanks will forever go to the Greater Latrobe School District Art Conservation Trust. Inspired by the art collection of his alma mater,
Ray Mt. Joy approached the Greater Latrobe School District in 2010 about the possibility of repeating this vision in The Woodlands. With the support of The Woodlands High School and Conroe Independent School District, Ray and Pam Mt. Joy pursed this dream of starting a student-chosen and student-purchased art collection at The Woodlands High School. Lead by Barbara Nakles, Chairperson of the Art Conservation Trust, and with the support of the Greater Latrobe School District, the Mt. Joys were successful in replicating their vision. We are sincerely thankful to the visionary Latrobe High School teachers who conceived of such a collection, the Greater Latrobe School District Art Conservation Trust for preserving it, and the Mt. Joys for pursuing this dream in The Woodlands.
Although our inspiration came from Latrobe, we also like to think we honor and complement the vision of George and Cynthia Mitchell and the public art they incorporated into our community. Other than the outdoor sculptures of The Woodlands, our collection of 61 artworks is the only public permanent collection of art in The Woodlands. Our collection is viewed by thousands of people every day, and enriches the lives of the students who curate it.