Over the past six months, the Harris Hill Administration Building has become home to numerous student artworks. While many of the paintings and sculptures were crafted by current students, Naaman Forest High School alumnus Freedom Ha is the artist behind one of the most recently acquired pieces.
Ha’s artwork appeared in Harris Hill due to a special request from General Counsel of Legal Services Justin Graham and Assistant General Counsel Alaina Smith. The duo approached Fine Arts Coordinator Brenda Hass about obtaining a patriotic piece for their office. Hass then fired off an email to all art teachers, one of whom was Naaman Forest High School teacher Jan Venuso.
“His work came to mind immediately because it kind of represents America as a country. It does not matter who individuals are or where they are from, together we are bigger and stronger,” Venuso said. “I was excited when I heard Brenda picked his piece. I think it surprised him, too.”
“I was really surprised because it has been a while,” the 2012 graduate added. “This is kind of a weird feeling because once you graduate, you think most people from your school do not remember you. To think that she still remembers me and still has all my stuff is really heartwarming.”
The eye-catching illustration is actually an enlarged print of Ha’s original work, which is a watercolor, ink pen and tone paper mixed-media creation.
“We love it,” Smith commented. “It is an honor to have his art in our office because it serves as a reminder of why we are here.”
Ha and Venuso had a chance to see the amplified image—as well as other student art—during a recent visit to the building. In addition to showcasing hometown talent, Ha believes exhibiting student artwork reveals the dedication of GISD faculty.
“The school district puts in tons of work into trying to improve students academically, so displaying student artwork represents the product of that time invested,” Ha said. “It is a testament to teachers and administrators.”
Ha is currently a molecular biology major at the University of Texas at Dallas.