Although she’s only 16-years-old, sophomore Sydney Markus showed about 50 paintings in her own collection last weekend at the Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo Park.
Markus, an AP Studio Art student, presented primarily from her Yellow Barn art studio collection but also included work from her portfolio for the AP Studio Art exam. The majority of her pieces were impressionist-style paintings of models and still-lifes.
Over 500 people passed through the two-day exhibit over the weekend.
“I love to ask people what their favorite picture is,” Markus said. “It’s interesting to see the different variety that different people like.”
At the Yellow Barn art studio, Markus helps out as needed by cleaning floors and painting walls, and in exchange, she can take some classes for free. As gallery manager of the Yellow Barn, Markus has the opportunity to showcase her art in a public arena that is generally reserved for older, more experienced artists.
“Normally, only adults have exhibits at Yellow Barn,” she said. “So it’s a pretty big deal for a 16-years-old to have an exhibit.”
Every painting in the gallery was for sale, and Markus sold 13 paintings, earning over $1,500. She plans to use the proceeds to pay for a trip to Portugal with her Yellow Barn art teacher. The trip will give her the opportunity to experiment and paint new surroundings in a different country.
Markus spends about four hours a day, five days a week, at the Yellow Barn studio, dedicated to improving her artistic skills. While she wants to continue to painting after high school, Markus said she doesn’t plan on going to an art school.
“Art school is extremely competitive,” Markus said. “There would be so much pressure all the time.”
Carolyn Hollis, a patron at the art gallery, said she has high hopes for Markus’ artwork in the future.
“This exhibit speaks of seeing very clearly,” Hollis said. “The young artist has a very sharp eye for detail—a lot of her paintings show a lot of promise.”
Tina • May 4, 2011 at 7:42 am
GO SYDNEY!! you rule, congrats girl!