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July 6 , 2015
Dear Centralia R-VI School Board members,
My name is Lauren Seider, and I am a 2013 alumni of Centralia High School, where a
large part of my time was spent in the Visual Arts and Music programs. It is the memories and
lessons made and learned in these respective programs that I remember the most fondly and
make use of in my current endeavors. I am entering my third year at the Kansas City Art
Institute, where I am majoring in Illustration.
My time in the art room of Centralia High School has prepared me for my entrance into
college and a profession in the visual arts. I began to consider art school as a sophomore, and
from that point on my art teachers were great resources and guides along that path. I had the
pleasure of having two fantastic art teachers who encouraged me to be brave when talking
about my work, and silenced any doubts I had that I could not excel in art school. As a young
artist you often need others to help you understand what your work is saying, and Mrs. Curtis
and Mrs. Renaud did that for me. I am incredibly grateful for the freedom and attention that was
given to me during my four years in the art room, and the portfolio I left with reflects an
experience of carefree exploration of art and individuality.
However, after coming to KCAI and meeting students who came from other high schools and
fine arts focused schools, the critical limits of Centralias art program, available space and
materials, became very evident to me. Students should be able to think big; work on and within
larger areas and not feel limited by the space or resources of their facilities. They should
understand and have access to a formal gallery space and learn about the process of displaying
their work. The act of creating a portfolio suitable for college applications should not feel like a
rare anomaly in the curriculum only performed when a particular student requires it, as it felt
when I was developing mine. Art History courses should be made available for those who desire
to intensely study and create art, and for those who are interested in art but dont necessarily
want to create it. I was overwhelmed when taking on my first few weeks of school at KCAI; I had
stepped into a world I did not fully understand, and while I had the skills and motivation to
succeed in my new environment, I had to adapt quickly to understand the vocabulary and
mindset I was not familiar with. I want the Centralia Art department to grow in such a way that
future students can feel confident and equipped to enter an art school environment.
From fifth grade through my senior year, I was a member of the newly created Orchestra
program. My fifth grade year was the year of its inception, and throughout my time in the
program it grew and changed as we learned and were able to play more challenging pieces and
compete in competitions. Everywhere we went it seemed that people were so happy that our
orchestra existed; to find a 2A size school with an Orchestra program is very rare, and I
considered myself very lucky to be a part of one. Playing an instrument created time in my high
school schedule to do something uniquely different than my other classes, and exercised my
brain in new ways. I learned lessons in team building and discipline, and have many wonderful
memories of creating beautiful music with good friends.
Both of these programs made my high school experience a good one, and without them
I undoubtedly would not be on the same path that I am now. Both are invaluable to the high
school environment, and I believe they are highly deserving of more space and resources in
order to better serve and influence future Centralia students. The arts are exceedingly important
in the lives of young people, and can leave lasting impressions on a life that go beyond the
traditional core classes. I hope that you will consider the growth of the fine arts as a priority for
the Centralia R-VI school system. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lauren Seider