Taking art classes is often mandatory in early school curriculum. Many students complete the projects in hopes of making good grades or earning the required fine arts credit, then never pick up a paintbrush again.

However, a select few take the hobby a step further and continue practicing both in and beyond the classroom.  To students like senior Erin Gallaher, art is not simply an assignment, but a passion.

From a young age Gallaher recognized her desire to pursue art, and although she wasn’t that good in the beginning, she continued to practice and her passion evolved into a talent.

Art is a big part of Gallaher’s life; she uses it as a way to express how she feels.

“Art affects me in all kinds of ways. It’s sometimes as simple as painting when I’m feeling sad or angry, it calms me down,” Gallaher said.

Her favorite pieces of art to observe and create are mainly concentrated on the depths of the human mind and psychological disorders.

“I tend to focus on the parts of people that the rest of the world can’t see,” Gallaher explained.

She enjoys making art because of its influential abilities to bring out deep emotions in people just by looking at a certain piece.

Gallaher’s favorite mediums to work through are painting and photography.

When asked about her personal favorite piece that she had created, Gallaher said, “It was a depiction of what anxiety can sometimes feel like. It has broken glass all over it so it’s terrifying to touch.”

In school, Gallaher has taken art classes all four years at Lafayette and is currently enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) Art Studio I.  Gallaher and other students will be completing a portfolio of various artistic pieces throughout the year, and this portfolio will be sent to the AP Board to serve as the culminating AP Exam.

Gallaher plans to stick with her passion in the future through attending an art institute and earning a degree in fine arts.