This winter, student artists from The Storm King School shared their ideas on human rights through their participation in the ‘An Artist’s Response to Human Rights’ exhibition at SUNY Orange in Middletown, New York. Held annually since 2012, the exhibition is organized by the Orange County Arts Council, Cultural Affairs at SUNY Orange, and the Orange County Human Rights Commission to honor the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

The Storm King School was among several regional high schools represented in the exhibition, which showcased an impressive range of student work, including visual art, poetry, and written reflections. Participating Storm King students included Candy N. ’26, Tung L. ’26, Anastasia Y. ’27, Jenny C. ’27, Emmett J. ’27, Vivian X. ’27, Jessica N. ’27, and Owen G. ’28.

This year’s submissions from Storm King spanned multiple mediums, including painting, drawing, and mixed media. Each piece of art responded to a specific article from the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and was accompanied by a written artist statement, giving visitors insight into the students’ creative interpretations.

For example, for her chalk-on-paper work titled Recognition Before the Law (Article 8), Anastasia wrote that her artwork represented “the struggle for recognition before the law. The blindfolded woman of justice cannot see, speak, or breathe, symbolizing silenced and unseen individuals. The uneven scale symbolizes inequality before the law, when some voices carry less weight. The dark background suggests a repeating cycle of invisibility and struggle for acknowledgment.” Owen, who used watercolor for his piece called Freedom of Movement (Article 13), explained. “The fish are trapped in the bags and can’t move, symbolizing people not being able to leave where they are from.”

Visual Arts Chair John Carruthers reflected on his students’ work, commenting, “Year after year, this exhibition challenges them to think critically and to use art as a means of both learning and expression. Their work really shows how much they think about the world around them and this off campus exhibition gives it exposure beyond the classroom.”