Student Spotlight: Cherry Crump
By Anthony James
The High School Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) recognizes exemplary student achievements in the Visual Arts. It gives students a chance to create artworks, write about their creative processes, and articulate information about their artwork. The encouragement and awareness it spreads allows student achievement to be recognized. For over 25 years it has been an advocate and beacon for young artists. But how important is art and why do we need it?
To elaborate on that topic, let’s visit with a VASE competitor to see some of its impact. Redwater, Texas student Cherry Crump competed in VASE and advanced to the statewide competition. The picture she drew, colored, and entered into the competition has a rich story behind it. The bass guitar was a gift from an unexpected friend. The note looming in the background is the actual note that accompanied the bass when it was gifted. The graphite and colored pencil on the page bring the image to life but the narrative it paints reaches back even further and deeper than that.
Tell us a little about the backstory of the 1970s Fender Bass guitar.
“It originally was owned by the renowned musician Otha Mayton. He gave it a long life where it saw countless shows and studios. He tragically passed away in a car accident but miraculously gifted it to my father right before. When my father signed a record deal and moved to Nashville, the bass guitar accompanied him as a staple. During this time other musicians would often borrow it for studio recording sessions. It may have been owned by my father but he always felt its history was too big to take all for himself. He shared it every opportunity he could with every musician he could. When my father stopped touring professionally, he moved and had to sell some of his instruments. A fellow musician and friend of the family, Michael Farren, gracefully bought it immediately and vowed to keep it in the family. Farren is Grammy nominated with a musical career full of accolades. He’s been featured on American Idol and recorded with numerous musical legends. Unexpectedly, he gifted me the guitar a year ago for my birthday, and truly fulfilled his promise to my father of keeping it in the family. Not only that but he inspired a love for an instrument that hasn’t stopped growing.”
Why did you choose that as your artwork?
“There’s so much sentimental value in the piece. It means something to me that’s difficult to put into words and my artwork helped me convey my gratitude. It’s a way of paying homage to the previous owners of the bass guitar. The joy and love they all had for their art lives on through me. My love for music in general started with my parents’ inclination towards it. I felt like in a way I could carry on the legacy they passed down to me.
What role do you think the artist has in society?
“They are the ones that can ultimately look at things in a different way. Without artists there wouldn’t be much thinking outside the box. Art helps us appreciate what’s around us.”
What do you think the world needs more of?
“The world needs more appreciation.”
Does art help you in other areas of life?
“It helps me with my schoolwork all the time. For example, when I’m designing poster boards for projects it helps my design. Even more than that I think an artist is keen on thinking outside of the box and using what is available to them. When I’m given a problem with limited instructions, I can always create my own with ease. It helps me think of solutions in a different light.”
What kind of future plans do you have?
“I would love to try different mediums and media. I want to expand and to grow into other areas to see if I enjoy them just as much.”
Art helps individuals grow. It gives people avenues to express themselves and communicate what words cannot. It helps us appreciate the world around us. Art helps us look at problems through a different lens. It creates lineage. Something beautiful that’s been passed down from those before us and extended to those after us.
