Students Find Their Creative Sides at Black History Month Event
Barb Dawson • February 9, 2024

Thanks, Studio 928!

Montini Catholic Peer Ministry was proud to host artist Cheryl Vargas of Studio 928 - to celebrate Black History Month on Thursday, February 8th. Students were invited to enjoy an afternoon of bonding through art. This is the second year Montini has invited Studio 928 to the school to engage the students. Senior Skye Houston, a core member of Montini's Peer Ministry team, conceptualized the idea last year. 


"The idea came up because Mrs. Miller (Peer Minister advisor) was looking for a good team bonding idea," Skye explained last year. "Because it was Black History Month, we looked online for some fun bonding events. We came across Studio 928 and thought it was a great idea!" Sky and her team opened up the idea to all students as a fun way to celebrate Black History Month and support an African American owned business. Last year, students each painted a section of a Kente cloth which comes from a textile practice that originated in Ghana centuries ago. (The fabric has come to symbolize cultural affiliations from West Africa across the diaspora, but legend has it that a spider spinning a complex web inspired the earliest kente techniques and designs.)


Vargas, the self-proclaimed 'Creator in Chief' at Studio 928 (Oak Park), is focused on encouraging artists of all levels to take time out to re-energize through the creative process. 


This year the students painted Chicago's Cloud Gate aka "The Bean." Montini's art room was full of energy and comradery as the artists learned painting techniques and completed their paintings. 


Image above:  l to r: Studio 928 assistant to Ms. Vargas, Ms. Cheryl Vargas (center), Jasmin Baker Rohlehr and Ava Goree; Back row l to r: Chloe Harrington '27, Olievia Madison '27, Joseph Urizar '25, Kayla Mowatt, Dwayne Houston '26, Lyiah Seals '24 and Angelica Gatling


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