North Atlanta High School is full of charm. The building has become an eleven-floor canvas that provides beautiful views and many opportunities for art to fill the halls. From murals that cover the walls to ceiling cutouts painted by graduated students, North Atlanta is filled from floor one to eleven with richly creative designs. The brightest artistic minds of the school join the National Art Honors Society to create a space for artists to come together, expand their artistic portfolios, and bounce ideas off of each other. One of their many traditions to help build portfolio work and widespread art around the school is called Free Art Friday.
Free Art Friday is a monthly occurrence when students within the National Art Honors Society create art to spread around the school for students to take for free. It creates a game-like activity for the students to explore the halls with a hand-drawn prize awaiting them. This long-lasting activity has been brightening students’ days since 2016, proven by more than 500 Instagram posts and counting. The original idea for Free Art Friday itself came from art communities around Atlanta. Senior Kira Watkins, the group’s president, highly encourages members to participate, giving them more opportunities to build their portfolios and practice their artistic abilities. “It’s something that local artists have created and participated in,” she said. “We wanted more opportunities for our young artists to create.”
With a new theme each month, artists take off with inspiration to create unique pieces to share with their peers around the school. The artist themselves places their work in any location of their choosing with an official Free Art Friday sticker. With a quick picture and message to the National Art Honors Society Free Art Friday Instagram–a page dedicated exclusively to the monthly event–students around the school are free to search, explore, and collect art. Sophomore Olivia Massar happily creates new designs each month for the club. “I love the freedom it gives and the ability to share art without being in an art class,” she said.
The National Art Honors Society embodies what it means to be a club with community involvement. Through Free Art Fridays, they effectively introduce artists’ work to students, from freshmen to seniors, all while creating more opportunities to practice skills and build portfolio work. Stay on the lookout for art hidden across the school for the National Art Honors Society’s next Free Art Friday.
